Uncle Josef: A Moonlight Story
by Donnamour1969
Summary: Story #16 in my post-series saga. The mysterious murders of two vamps send Mick, Josef and their ladies to Tulsa, where they receive much more than they bargained for. Rated T/M for sex, language, and violence. No copyright infringement intended.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Welcome to story number sixteen in my post-"Sonata" series! While you don't have to have read any of my previous stories, I sure wish you would. This story picks up a thread of my old fic "Road Trip," the part where the gang visits Tulsa, OK (If you'd like some background info before reading this, or a quick refresher, read chapters 6 through 9 of that fic. Just click on my name and it will give you a list of all my fics). Again, not necessary that you read my old stuff, but you still should know the basics for what I have written since.

This story takes place about two years after the actual show ended. Mick and Beth are engaged, and Beth is now a vampire (she has the gift of seeing people's auras—isn't that cool?). Josef and Simone are married, and she too is a vampire now. I'll give you newbies enough background information along the way so you can catch on to what's been going on with my favorite vamps, so hopefully it will still be an enjoyable reading experience. And now, without further ado…

_**Uncle Josef**_**, Chapter 1**

MICK

"Okay, Mick. Choose your weapon," said Josef, his voice ominous.

I looked at the two choices before me, uncertain which would do the most damage, which would get the job done the best, and I hesitated. One was certainly more stylish and more beautiful than the other, but could looks be deceiving with these things?

"I can't believe it's come to this," I said, shaking my head. "I mean, we've had our differences before, Josef, and normally we could just talk things through. Or maybe I'd beat the crap out of you and get on with my life. But this…don't you think this is taking things just a little too far?"

"Quit being a pussy, Mick, and choose, or I'll sure as hell choose for you! Let's settle this like gentlemen, and not get our hands—or Armani—bloodied for a change."

"You're just saying that because it's usually you on the receiving end. Alright, then…I choose…the Lamborghini."

"What?" He said in surprise. "You're gonna let me drive my Ferrari, a vehicle that's almost like an extension of my own dick. Not a wise move, my friend."

I shrugged. "If you're going to race me, it doesn't matter what vehicle you have. There's no way I'm cutting my hair, so there's no way I'm losing this race to you."

We stood silently, eyeing each other angrily. Josef had discovered some old military pictures of me, before I'd been turned, with short hair. He'd known me back in the fifties, of course, right after I'd met Coraline, when my hair was considerably shorter than now, but he'd decided I would looked even better with a crew cut. So for the last two weeks, every time I saw him, he hounded me about getting a haircut. He'd sent every hair expert to my apartment, from an old-fashioned barber to his own, top dollar stylist. Still, I refused. It was my hair. It was my look. And it certainly felt wonderful with Beth's fingers running through it; I'd never heard any complaints from her. Not even my best friend was going to take that experience from me.

"What, you think you'll lose your powers, Samson?" Josef said snarkily.

The evening breeze washed over me, and I inhaled the smell of gasoline and motor oil. Josef had rented the Autoclub Speedway for us to _settle this like gentlemen_, providing my choice of the two fastest cars from his well-stocked garage. If I lost, I'd get a haircut. If _he_ lost—no blood from freshies for six months. I figured that was the length of time I'd need to re-grow my hair back to its current length.

"You think your stamina will lessen if you don't drink freshie blood?"I shot back.

He snorted. We were back at the impasse that had brought us to this racetrack. "I've gone without before, with no complaints from Simone, I might add."

"You realize this is the stupidest, most overblown way to settle an argument that you've ever come up with?"

He grinned his mischievous grin. "Sounds like fun though, doesn't it?"

As I looked at the blue Lamborghini Aventador, I couldn't help but agree. He never let me drive any of his cars—ever. His usual excuse had been that he'd seen the car I drove, and while it was cute and all to be living in the past, he felt I wouldn't know the first way to handle something post twentieth century. But I couldn't lie—it was every man and male vamp's dream to be put in control of a hot car and given free rein on a racetrack, and I'd be a fool to pass up this experience. Besides, the Lamborghini was the most beautiful car I'd ever seen, and my hands fairly itched to take the wheel.

"Yeah, and it'll be _really_ fun when I whip your ass and you're getting weekly deliveries from the blood bank," I replied.

"Not gonna happen, Mick. But hey, I'll keep a clipping of one of your curls in a locket around my neck if you like."

"Get in the goddamn car, Josef."

He laughed almost gleefully, and I knew he thought this whole thing was in the bag for him. What he didn't know was that I'd had some experience on a racetrack, once upon a time. Not in a car as expensive or as powerful as this one, but I'd dabbled in amateur stock car racing for awhile when Josef was living overseas back in the seventies.

We zipped on our fire resistant jumpsuits and reached for our helmets. We would easily survive a crash, but fires were certainly not a vampire's friend. Just then, Beth and Simone came to give us a rousing sendoff.

"You realize how ridiculous this is," Beth said to me, looking up into my face, her bright blue eyes clouded slightly with worry.

"Yes," I said. I reached up to brush aside the windblown blonde hair from her forehead. "We'll be fine though. Josef has to constantly prove his masculinity, or else he loses sight of it very easily."

Josef shot me a dirty look, but then he was so wrapped up in kissing his wife that any snappy comeback was momentarily forgotten. I smirked, then turned my attention back to my adorable fiancé.

"Speaking of masculine—the overalls look is totally hot." She fingered the zipper at my throat sensually.

"Well, don't I get a good-luck kiss too?" I asked. Before she could reply, I leaned down for my lady's favor. It was always fun kissing a smiling Beth.

From the stands came catcalls, whistles, and shouts of annoyance. Our cheering section. Logan and Guillermo were the noisemakers, and Daryl the impatient one.

"Carrie and I didn't come to watch a chick flick! Get in the blasted cars and show us some real action!"

_He is joking. Take your time, mon aime. And be careful. _This came straight from Carrie's mind to ours.

Josef and I abruptly stopped kissing our ladies (it's very disconcerting to be kissing one woman and have another's voice in your head) and turned to the small crowd with a wave. I knew the final wagers were flying, but I wasn't sure who exactly was betting on me. I looked over at Josef.

"You ready to eat my dust?" I asked with as much bravado as I could muster.

"It'll never happen. Kiss your Jheri Curl goodbye too, and let's get rollin'."

Beth kissed me quickly once more on the cheek, shook her head in amused resignation, and went to join our friends on the bleachers. Simone was the designated flag girl, and as we donned our helmets and got into our cars, she stood between us at the starting line, her long hair whipping around her face, green flag at the ready. We both gunned our engines in adolescent displays of our driving prowess, and waited for the flag to drop. When it finally did, I felt a grin of exhilaration split my face as we peeled out and began the race. The small crowd cheered and Simone's excited laugh carried us forward down the track.

The Auto Club Speedway's sports car course snaked around two and a half miles with twenty-one turns, designed to test the skill and control of the driver. The first lap had me straining to get a feel for my car and the course beneath me, and my confidence waned a bit as I glanced over at Josef, who appeared to be completely at ease and thoroughly enjoying himself. We stayed neck and neck at first, and I had the sinking feeling he was just toying with me. The red Ferrari 458 roared past me as we began lap two, and I realized that play time was clearly over.

Lap three, and he was still ahead. "Had enough?" his voice crackled through the speaker in my helmet.

"Just getting warmed up," I claimed, suddenly pouring on the speed and overtaking him. We turned a tight corner and nearly collided, but I quickly righted myself and kept the lead for the rest of the lap. As we passed Beth and the others, she was standing and cheering, and blew me a kiss as we sped by. Seeing her spurred me on, and we began lap four with me and the Lamborghini still in the lead.

"Had enough?" I threw Josef's own words back at him.

"Nah. Just letting you get that winning feeling before I crush your confidence into the asphalt."

I laughed. "Right. Don't hold back, Josef. I think I can take it."

"Okay. If you insist…"

That was the last time I saw his headlights. As we maneuvered the final lap, Josef gave it all he had, and I watched from a good distance the Ferrari speeding past Simone and her checkered flag.

"Shit." I murmured, coasting to a stop. Josef's victory howl threatened to burst my eardrums. I climbed out of the beautiful car and ripped off my helmet, glancing over to where Josef was receiving the accolades of our friends. I tried to avoid noticing whose money changed hands with whom. Beth wandered over to me and encased my heated body in a cool hug. She reached up and touched my hair.

"It'll grow," she said, a smile in her voice.

I chuckled. "It's not the hair I regret. It's hearing him gloat for the next six months."

I walked back to Josef and the others, Beth's shoulders beneath my arm. Josef turned to me, his face glowing so brightly you could steer a ship by it. I reached out a hand in acquiescence, and he shook it with more humility than I expected. My other friends grew quiet, wondering how hard I was going to take this. I almost laughed at Logan's tense face. Good Lord, it was only hair.

"Good race, buddy," Josef grinned. "You had me scared there for awhile. I hate bagged blood."

"Congratulations, Josef. I will accede to your conditions. Name the time and place."

"Hmmm…hadn't really thought that far ahead," replied Josef, and I knew from his expression he was lying out his ass.

Daryl laughed, touching his own crew cut that he'd worn since his Navy days. "You could use _my_ barber."

Logan came up to me and patted my shoulder consolingly. "I was so rooting for you, dude. I know just how you feel though. Stacy would kill me if I cut these silken locks of mine."

"More like dump you," said Guillermo. "That's probably the best thing you got going for you."

"Hey!"

It was the first time I really noticed that Logan and I had similar hairstyles. Suddenly, the idea of getting a haircut seemed like a good idea after all.

Carrie smiled at me warmly. _Maybe you will like it better. Less care. And we'll be able to see your handsome face much better. _

"Alright," I said, suddenly feeling like we were at a funeral. "I'm not dying, for God's sake! Josef won fair and square. But that race was totally worth it. Did you see me out there? That's the sweetest thing I've ever driven."

Beth looked up at me wickedly. She had such a dirty mind. I dropped a kiss on the top of her head and laughed. "Well, almost."

Everyone was smiling and continued to rib me and each other. Plans were made to meet up at Daryl's bar back in LA, and Josef asked for volunteers to drive the Lamborghini home. He immediately discounted Logan, but said Guillermo could, which left Logan pouting all the way back to the parking lot; he'd be driving back alone. Josef and Simone were about to get back into his Ferrari when his cell phone rang. He looked at the caller ID with a grin and held his hand up for Beth and me to wait.

"This is Kostan," he said into the phone.

JOSEF

I was ecstatic that I'd soundly beaten Mick in the race, but, to tell you the truth, it was really way to easy. I was a much more experienced high-speed driver than he was, and honestly, it was the best excuse I could think of to get back on the racetrack. I didn't really give a shit what his hair looked like; it was just fun annoying him. And now, I'd have even more fun watching my best friend's cherubic curls fall to the floor around him. When you have everything, you have to make your own entertainment.

The phone call came as a total surprise. It was John Deerling, caretaker of my house in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He and his wife, Diana, were also vampires, and lived there with their adopted vamp daughter, Lily. I'd known those people nearly a hundred years, and they were not only trusted employees, they were my very good friends. Eternally four-year-old Lily even called me Uncle Josef. That's why I smiled when I saw who was calling.

"Hey, John!"

The voice on the phone, however, was unfamiliar to me. It sounded like an older woman, her accent vaguely Eastern European, though so faint she must have lived in the States for many years.

"Mr. Kostan, this is Antonia Korzha. I am young Lily's nanny."

If I still had a heart, I knew it would have stopped beating at that precise moment. There was definitely something terribly wrong with the tone of this woman's voice.

"Yes…I remember them mentioning you. What is it? What's wrong?" I asked, trying to sound calm. Simone put a hand on my arm, and Mick and Beth walked to stand by me and the Ferrari.

"Oh, Mr. Kostan. They're dead! They're both dead! Mr. and Mrs. Deerling!"

"What! Listen, lady, you'd better start from the beginning and don't leave one fuckin' thing out!"

The woman was obviously crying now, but she sniffled and began to explain. "They were expecting me to watch Lily tonight while they went out. When I got here, I found them, dead in their bedroom…their heads…oh God—the blood!"

"And Lily? Where the hell is Lily?" I hadn't felt this scared in a long time, and I could feel myself starting to shake with rage.

"I found her hiding under her bed, totally untouched. She heard the bad men come in, she said. There was a lot of shouting, fighting, and then she heard her mother crying and screaming. Oh, God, the poor child must have heard everything! She's beside herself, and keeps calling for her mama."

My mind was racing. _What to do? What to do?_ "Okay, Antonia, you take Lily to a hotel right now. Pack for several days. Don't call the Cleaners, don't tell anyone you've gone. Leave everything as it is. You call me back when you are settled. I'll be out there in a few hours on my private jet."

"I'm afraid, Mr. Kostan," she said shakily. "Mrs. Deerling, she told me to call you if ever I had a problem and couldn't reach them. But what if they come back? I'm afraid to go outside."

I tried to make my voice sound composed now so the woman would calm down and not be so upset that she couldn't think straight enough to take care of Lily. "If they were after Lily, they would have found her and done the same. They're likely long gone, because whoever did this must know who the Deerlings worked for, whose house that is, and weren't going to stick around to face me. You're a vamp, right? You can protect Lily. I'm depending on you, Antonia, just like John and Diana did. You did right by calling me. Just do as I say, and you'll be fine."

"Alright, Mr. Kostan. I'll protect Miss Lily with my life, I swear to God. I swear to you."

"Good. I'll be there as soon as I can."

I hung up the phone and speed dialed my pilot, giving him our flight plan. We'd leave within the hour.

My wife and friends looked as horror-struck as I felt, having obviously heard both sides of my intense conversation.

"Jesus Christ," I muttered, closing my eyes as the fear and pain threatened to overwhelm me.

"I'm coming with you," Mick said. "I'll help you find the bastards who did this."

"We're all coming," Simone stated. I pulled her into my arms and held her tightly, breathing in her comforting, familiar scent.

"When I catch who did this—" I began.

"Get in line," said Beth quietly, meeting my eyes with the determination I always admired in her. I looked around at my wife and friends, and couldn't wait to get back to Tulsa.

_Hang on, Lily, _I thought desperately. _Uncle Josef is coming._

A/N: Hope you like this set-up. It won't be all angst, I promise. Please let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks so much for the warm welcome back! So nice to be writing for this forum again! This chapter kind of got away with me in length—hope it isn't too long, but I wasn't sure where to stop. It hopefully moves the plot along, as well as the mystery. I promise, once we get the mystery out of the way, there will be more humor and romance. Please bear with me until then. I hope you like it!

**Chapter 2**

MICK

For the most part, the ride on Josef's jet was understandably quiet and grim. Josef spent some time on the phone with his contacts in Tulsa, but could discover no leads as to why the Deerlings had been murdered. We all knew it could be someone trying to get at Josef, but it could also be something John and Diana had gotten themselves mixed up in. It was a mystery we'd have to figure out once we got to Tulsa.

"You realize, Josef," I said quietly, as the girls flipped through magazines that they obviously weren't really interested in. "This could be someone trying to lure you back there for some reason." Everyone looked at me with trepidation.

He nodded once, taking a sip from his glass of scotch. "I had the same thought."

"Who are your enemies in that part of the country?"

I knew Josef well enough to know he'd been contemplating all these angles himself, but if I were to help him, I needed to know everything that he knew.

He sighed, then a ghost of a smile hovered around his lips. "You want the whole list, or just the top ten?"

"How about the top five?"

He rattled off a few names—former business associates, the don of the local vampire mafia, families of people he'd killed. The list seemed like it could go on and on, and he hadn't even lived in Tulsa long-term since the 1920's.

"If they were after you," I suggested, "it would be someone with a long memory. Vampire most likely, or someone knowledgeable and strong enough to kill two old vampires in their own home. There are still vampire hunters out there, you know."

"You mean, they were killed just because they were vampires?" Beth asked with some alarm. Being a recently turned vamp herself, Beth was just beginning to see that there were other ramifications to being a vampire other than the blood, the avoidance of sunlight, and the freezer time.

"Of course, Buzzwire. I know you're new to this, but you've seen vampire movies, right?"

She gave Josef a dirty look for his condescension. "Yes, of course. And I remember that Mick had been a vampire hunter at one time, but only hunted vamps who were killing humans haphazardly. I would think that unless the Deerlings had drawn attention to themselves somehow, killed someone, or angered the wrong people, they'd be left alone."

"Don't be naïve," said Josef testily. "I've been run out of town at pitchfork point a time or two, back in the old country, and believe me, that prejudice is still alive and well today. You wait until some human gets the idea to avenge his freshie sister and goes all Van Helsing on your ass, then you'll know what I'm talking about." He downed the rest of his scotch in agitation.

We looked at Josef, who was presumably speaking from experience. That's one of the reasons Beth and I didn't utilize freshies. No freshie was an island, after all.

"Calm down, buddy," I said, my voice low and tight with warning. No matter how upset he was about the Deerlings, he had no cause to talk to Beth that way.

He caught my tone and took note of it, then his eyes flicked back to Beth. He sighed, his annoyance waning. "I'm sorry, Beth. I'm frustrated and taking it out on you."

"Don't worry about it," said Beth graciously. "We're all upset, and it's a painfully long way to Tulsa."

Simone had been listening to our conversation without comment, but I could tell her main concern was for her husband. "Josef, why don't you go get some rest? Who knows when you'll have time to sleep again."

He looked at the three sets of eyes who were regarding him, serious and filled with concern. He reached for his wife's hand, trying to muster up some comic relief. "Only if you'll join me, baby. Daddy needs some pity sex."

"I said _sleep_, Josef," she reminded him.

He rose and led her to one of the freezer berths hidden behind the curtained walls of the jet. I could tell by his gait that he was about at his breaking point emotionally, and Simone had sensed it too. She was good for him that way.

Josef shrugged and gave Simone an indulgent smile. "Sleep. Sex. Whatever…"

They disappeared behind the curtain, and we heard the rustling of clothing and the opening of the freezer's lid. There were faint whispers, then we heard no more.

Beth slid closer to me on the couch and snuggled into my side. _Poor Josef,_ she mouthed, so he wouldn't overhear her pity. I pulled her more tightly against me, tilting her chin up for a kiss. We sat there the rest of the long flight, listening as my watch ticked away the long minutes.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

We arrived at Josef's 1920's mansion at around three a.m., struck again at its ivy-covered beauty as Josef drove the rented Escalade down the long, narrow driveway. It looked as though every light had been turned on in the house, likely how Antonia had left it in her haste to get Lily away, following his orders to leave things as she'd found them. The nanny had called an hour after Josef had told her to find a hotel room, and she'd given him the name of a hotel on the east side of the city, clear across town from his Terwilleger Heights home.

We got out of the SUV, and the air of the Oklahoma midsummer night was heavy and thick with humidity, as if desperately holding on to the heat of the afternoon. It must still be ninety-five degrees.

"Geez, Josef," I said softly, feeling the oppressive heat weighing upon me. "How the hell did you live in this place in the summer?" When we'd been here last year, it had been in the early spring, when the air was soft and cool, and refreshingly humidity-free.

I got a chuckle out of him. "Most of us local vamps left for cooler climes between May and October. Like they say around here, 'it's not the heat that'll get you, it's the humidity.'"

He was right. LA could be hot, but without the uncomfortable moisture, and it usually got much cooler at night, especially near the ocean. Oklahoma in July was definitely not vampire-friendly.

All talk of the weather abruptly ceased as we walked to the side entrance of the mansion, and Josef punched in the code on the security system keypad. But before he could finish, he leaned his hand on the door and it gently swung inward. Josef and I looked at each other in apprehension. This was not good. We all carried stakes in one hand, small machetes in the other, and my grip on my weapons tightened reflexively.

"Antonia must have forgotten to lock up," Beth murmured, but the nanny's simple oversight—if it was _her_ oversight-lent an even more ominous feel to the night. The scent of vampire blood was nearly overwhelming as we walked inside the house, and we reluctantly breathed it in, simultaneously listening for the sound of human heartbeats. We smelled no "living" vampires, sensed no current human intruders, but the sweet smell of humanity suffused the air.

Antonia had said she'd discovered the Deerlings in their bedroom, so, with expressions of extreme dread, we headed through the kitchen, then reluctantly up the marble staircase. We stopped outside the door where the scent of blood was strongest, and Josef and I turned to the women. Beth and Simone were both vampires now, but they still had the tender sensibilities of ladies.

"Why don't you two wait out here," I said simply. "You don't want to see this."

They looked at each other, then back at us. "It's okay," replied Simone. "We're all in this together, remember?"

Josef's lips tightened, but he didn't argue, and Beth gave a slight nod, but I still saw the fear in her eyes.

The door was ajar, and Josef pushed it open. It was worse than we had expected. Beth and Simone gasped audibly, and Josef let loose a cry of despair from deep in his throat. The room was a wreck, having been the sight of a brutal battle—pictures hung askew or lay broken on the floor, lamps overturned, curtains in shredded piles beneath the bay windows. Blood soaked the carpeting in four places, but our eyes were held captive by the bodies that had been arranged in death on the four-poster bed. The murderers had placed the bodies atop the down comforter, their separated heads laid macabrely on the pillows above them, wide-open eyes staring sightlessly toward the ceiling, expressions of horror still etched into their lifeless features. They were dressed in formal evening clothes, and later we would find tickets to the ballet under their bed.

"Oh God," said Simone with a sob, turning her face away. I glanced at Beth, and saw tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Get out of here," Josef said to them softly. They didn't argue this time, and we heard the click of their heels as they went back down the stairs. Frankly, I wish I was going with them, but Josef and I had to search the room thoroughly for clues. Josef went over to the bodies and gently closed their eyes with his fingertips.

"Humans did this, obviously," I said. "Humans who knew what they were doing. I smell three or four, but the scent is fading fast. At least one was a woman. They weren't here long, and none of their blood was spilled. This was a professional hit job." I left it unsaid that they'd certainly put up a valiant fight.

Josef nodded in agreement, likely having come to the same conclusions. We searched the room quickly, rifling through their drawers and closets, but found nothing that would give us any hints as to why they would have merited cold-blooded murder. We would expand our search through the rest of the house, but we both had the feeling that we would find nothing. Hit men this serious would have left nothing behind. Neither of us wanted to say aloud the suspicion that this was probably aimed at Josef, himself.

Then, the phone rang. Josef went to the bedside table and picked up the cordless house phone.

"Kostan," he said automatically.

"Mr. Kostan," came an unfamiliar, feminine voice. "Saying goodbye to your friends, I see." Josef's eyes widened, and I sprang into action, flipping off the lights and staring out the windows into the darkness. They were watching us.

"Who the fuck is this?" growled my friend.

There was a humorless chuckle. "Someone you'd better take seriously. If you want the demon child and her nanny back safe and sound, that is."

"What! Listen, bitch, you'd better not harm a hair on Lily's head or I'll _seriously_ tear your goddamn throat out!"

"Now, now. I have no desire to kill a child, even if she is an abomination to the Lord. But I'll do it, if you don't pay up. Ten million dollars, bloodsucker. You have until tomorrow at noon. Wait for instructions."

They disconnected, and Josef held the phone in his hand for all of five seconds before he threw the thing at the wall, where it smashed into countless pieces. The girls came running back to the room. They'd only been able to hear Josef's shouted side of the conversation, and the bang on the wall had summoned them hastily back.

I, however, wasted no more time, but grabbed my machete and took off through the house at a full run, brushing past the exclaiming girls and jumping down the flight of stairs. Once outside, I took a deep sniff, trying to isolate the scent based on the humans I'd smelled in the Deerlings' bedroom. And, low and behold, I picked up the scent. I caught sight of a black Lexus sedan parked across the street from Josef's gated yard, saw a woman's arms hanging out the open window, her binoculars trained on the house. All at once, they were trained on me. I vamped out and she literally jumped, then yelled at the driver to move.

The car peeled out, louder than a gunshot in the quiet residential area. I followed after, but they were quickly able to pour on the speed on the empty street, driving too fast for even top vamp speed. As a last ditch effort, I hurled the machete. It smashed through their rear window and the car swerved crazily, righted itself, and kept on going, faster than before. I stopped as it turned a corner out of sight. I turned around, realizing I must have run a mile trying to catch them.

Back inside, I shook my head, and they knew I hadn't caught them. "Two humans. I got the license plate number. I'll call Logan and have him run the numbers."

"What do we do now?" asked Simone. While I'd been gone, Josef had apparently filled her and Beth in on the kidnapper's phone call. We stood in the kitchen, Beth at the refrigerator door, pulling out blood bags for a snack. Josef had gone directly to the liquor cabinet.

"We wait," I said, pulling out my cell phone.

"The hell we do," Josef said angrily, setting out a bottle of whiskey. "When I get—"

His diatribe was interrupted by the jangling phone. He answered it, trying not to rip it off the wall. We sort of needed working phones right now.

"Kostan," he snapped.

"That was a mistake, sending your vampire friend after us. The ransom has gone up to fifteen million. I need a new rear windshield." I could hear the infuriating smirk in the woman's voice.

"You'll get nothing if I don't get Lily back. In perfect condition."

"Get the cash and wait by the phone. Don't even try to find us. We'll know you're looking." And the line went to dial tone. Josef carefully hung up, then he looked back at us, realization dawning on his face. He switched to speaking at vampire levels.

"They're listening to us as well as watching us. Speak like this until further notice, and don't use the house phone for anything."

"Good idea," I said, modulating my voice accordingly. We were quiet while Beth heated blood and we retired to the opulent living room, mine and Josef's drinks spiked liberally with whiskey. After a few sips, Josef pulled out his cell phone.

"I have two dead vamps at 1508 Rockford Rd. And we'll need a transfer to Floral Haven…yeah, see you in twenty."

_The Cleaners._

"You're having them taken to a funeral home?" I asked.

"Yeah. They deserve to be buried properly in a place where I can visit them. And so Lily…" His voice trailed off, and he covered his shakiness with another drink. There were vamp-friendly funeral homes that allowed for a respectable burial, religious ceremonies included if you wanted. Unfortunately, the names of the dead were usually changed on the tombstone to avoid any possible outside investigations. That Josef would do this for the Deerlings was a testament to how much they'd meant to him.

While we waited for the Cleaners to arrive, I made that call to Logan. It only took a few minutes for him to look up the plate number, so I waited on the line. The news he gave me was disturbing, though not a total surprise.

"It was the Deerlings' car," I said.

Josef didn't comment, but I could see his fury was very close to the surface. He got up to refill his glass.

The Cleaners arrived in less than twenty minutes, their nondescript van opening to allow two vamps dressed in white overalls and the lead Cleaner, a beautiful woman dressed head to toe in typical black leather, long blonde hair bound in a high ponytail. There must be a worldwide Cleaner's union, I mused, because everyone I'd ever seen looked and acted the same way.

"That was fast," Josef commented while her workers brought their equipment into the house.

"Summers are slow," she replied. "What happened here? Anything I need to report to the local Council?" She must have known whom Josef was to have asked such a question.

"I'll take care of it. It was a human on vamp murder."

She raised a surprised eyebrow. "That's unusual."

"Yeah," replied Josef noncommittally. Cleaners were known for their discretion, so she asked no more questions except to do with payment and instructions for the removal of the bodies.

Less than a half-hour later, they were gone again, the bedroom sanitized of blood, the stained mattress and bedding removed, pictures righted, glass cleaned up. It was like nothing had ever happened. I found Josef leaning against the doorframe, looking sadly into the room.

"You think this was an inside job?" he asked me.

"Could be. Or maybe they just took the Lexus when they took Lily. What do you know about this Antonia woman?"

"Nothing, really. John mentioned they had to get a new nanny a few months ago. They'd checked her out thoroughly because Diana was a real stickler for who watched Lily. They were good parents," he said quietly.

I put my hand on his shoulder and gave what I hoped was a comforting squeeze. "If Antonia wasn't in on the kidnapping, she likely knew the kidnappers, because they were able to get in past your security system. And John and Diana would have sensed humans in their house. Why would they still have been all the way up here in their bedroom, not downstairs investigating why strangers were in their house? Unless they knew them too and weren't concerned."

"Good questions, Mick. I knew there was a reason I brought you." He gave me a half-hearted grin. "I have another angle too. Let's go to that hotel where Antonia supposedly took Lily. I checked the caller ID from when she called to give me her room number. It checked out as being the Renaissance, just like she said. When I called the hotel, they were registered there under the fake name she'd given. They must have made it there before they were abducted, or Antonia was in on it just like you suspect. Either way, it merits a look, don't you think?"

"Yeah," I agreed. "Beth and I will go. You need to stay by the phone."

I could tell he was itching to do something, besides sitting here twiddling his thumbs, but he knew I was right. "Okay," he said at last. "Thanks, man."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Armed with pictures of Lily and Antonia (printed from her driver's license photo via Logan) Beth and I went to the Renaissance Tulsa Hotel. It loomed several stories into the sky like a white castle on the east side of the city. We had the room number Antonia had given Josef, so we took the elevator up to the twelfth floor. No one was there, and we smelled no vamps at all. Either Antonia had been lying to us, or she'd been part of the set-up.

No one at the front desk recognized them, and they'd been there all night. I left them my number after flashing them my private investigator's license and slipping the night clerk a hundred dollar bill, to call me if they saw them. We returned to Josef's in poor spirits, and I voiced my suspicions about Antonia.

"Maybe they had her at stake point," Simone suggested. "Made her tell those lies to get you out here."

"Very possible," I conceded. "But we can't assume anything. Josef, I'm going to continue searching this house from top to bottom, starting with Lily's room. Is that okay?"

He was sitting on the couch next to Simone, and from the looks of the near-empty bottle, I'd say he was fortifying himself against what could be the worst news to come in the next few hours. It was almost dawn, and I worried that he wouldn't be on his game if he drank much more.

"Yeah, do whatever," he waved a hand in what almost seemed to be defeat. I went to stand before him, suddenly angry. This is what he always did when he lost someone he cared about—he shut down. I'd seen him do it when Simone left him, watched him throw himself into the bottle and hide there for weeks. I wasn't about to let him give into his pain now, not when things were far from over.

"Look at me, Josef," I said, my voice suddenly so brusque he involuntarily looked up from his glass. "You have to snap out of this. Diana and John are gone, and I'm sorry about that, but you have to stay focused on Lily now. When we get her back, she's going to need you, and not _drunk_ you. You don't want to be that drunken uncle everyone has who makes a fool of himself at family gatherings, do ya? Besides, you need to worry about getting that fifteen million together and preparing for the drop when it comes."

It was a good sign when he smiled a little at my lame joke. I was pleased to see him set his glass down on the coffee table, gently disentangle his wife, and stand up.

"You're right, of course," he said, "but I know everyone is thinking this all happened because of me." Simone's hand went to his as she gave a noise of protest. He squeezed her hand, but didn't otherwise respond to her. He continued his speech to me.

"They found out who John and Diana worked for, and killed them to get to me. This is my fault. How am I going to explain that to Lily?"

"Lily is four, Josef. You don't have to explain anything except the hard news that her parents are gone. And quit blaming yourself. You have money—that makes you a target, but it isn't a fault. Those kidnappers are to blame, and when we track them down, we'll make them pay for this, I promise you."

"What do you mean?" Beth asked from her perch on the arm of the couch. "You're not planning to kill them, are you? They deserve a fair trial at least, right?"

I looked over at my beautiful fiancé, still naïve in the ways of her new life. "Beth, this isn't the human world you're dealing with anymore. Too many vampires are involved, and we can't risk our exposure to leave it up to human justice. I'm sorry, but if we're sure we have the right people, they're as good as dead, you understand?"

I could tell she did, but she didn't like it.

"Quit thinking like a human, Blondie," Josef said evenly. "Our Prime Directive is to always protect our secret. But we're not totally uncivilized. We have Councils and trials for vamps who cross the lines into human affairs, and quick justice for the humans that interfere in ours." He was standing straighter, warming to his topic. "It has to be like this, or our two cultures can't coexist, and its back to the shadows for the vamps, living in the darkness like animals, like we had to hundreds of years ago, feeding off humans against their will, no longer contributing to either society. The way I see it, it's all worth the occasional sacrifice of lengthy trials and slimeball lawyers—no offense, honey." He grinned lovingly at his attorney wife. She nodded and smiled, used to lawyer jokes and insults.

I went over to Beth and gathered her close. "It takes some getting used to, I know. I was resistant at first, until I saw the necessity of it all, just like Josef said."

"I see it too, but it doesn't make it easier to accept."

"Maybe you should stop working for the DA's office," Josef suggested. "It might make it easier to see the distinction between our two worlds."

"Josef—" I warned.

Beth pulled away from me, and I could see her winding up for battle. I'd always loved that about her.

"No, Mick, I can see his point. But don't you think it's a good thing I'm there? I can let you and the Council know whenever a vamp is involved in a crime. I can be there to help protect our secret that much better. And I may not be a human anymore, but I still care about them, still have friends and family who are humans. You don't have to be human to be _humane_."

Josef's grin widened, and he was suddenly himself again. "Boy, Mick, did you pick the right human to turn," he teased me. He looked comically from Beth to me, and back again. "Two former humans, both clinging desperately to their humanity. Am I seeing double?"

"It's probably all that whiskey you've drunk," Beth shot back saucily.

Josef laughed aloud. "You're probably right about that, Buzzwire. I—"

At that moment, we were distracted by the sound of a distant thump, and the screeching wheels of a hastily departing vehicle. We rushed to the front window en masse to see a body lying on the driveway just inside the gate. Josef was the first to get to it, and he squatted down to turn the feminine form onto her back.

It was Antonia, a wooden stake driven deep within her heart.

A/N: Phew! You made it to the end of that monstrous chapter, lol. They won't all be that long, but I was anxious to get to that ending, and there was a lot of ground to cover along the way. If you liked what you read, please drop me a review and tell me! (Make sure you log in and have your PM's turned on so I can respond to you directly!)


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks to those who were kind enough to review/favorite/alert after the last chapter. Now, back to the action. Oh, if blood makes you queasy, you might want to close your eyes toward the very end. The rest of you—enjoy!

**Chapter 3**

JOSEF

We stared in shock a moment at Antonia Korzha, her brown eyes fixed and staring back, her mouth wide open in her own surprise as she was staked like an animal. She looked dead—truly dead—and perhaps the humans thought she was. Most of them believed the old movies that showed us vamps dying from wooden stakes through our hearts. Oh well, joke's on them.

I firmly grasped the stake with both hands and looked into her eyes. "Okay, Antonia, you ready? This is gonna hurt like a son-of-a-bitch. One, two, three!" I pulled with all my might.

She gasped in a mixture of pain and relief, her eyes closing, and Mick knelt down beside us, helping the woman to sit up.

"Oh my Lord," she said, in that strange accent of hers.

"You okay?" asked Mick, sounding genuinely concerned. I couldn't care less about the woman; I just wanted Lily back.

"Yes, yes. Thank you, Mr. Kostan," she said, looking at me gratefully.

"Where the hell's Lily," I demanded. At Simone's warning look, I modified my tone, even though I wanted to shake it out of the woman. I gritted my teeth. "Sorry. Is Lily alright?"

"I don't know, Mr. Kostan. We'd just gotten into our hotel room when they staked me and threw me in the car. That had to have been hours ago. Next thing I knew I was rolling onto the pavement here."

Beth brought a towel from the kitchen to press against the small cuts from her fall I suddenly noticed on her arms and face. She nodded her thanks.

"Where did they take you? And how?" asked Mick. I noticed the suspicion in his voice. In light of his recent visit to the hotel, Antonia's story wasn't adding up. No one at the hotel had seen them check in and Mick and Beth hadn't smelled any vamps around their supposed hotel room.

"They put me in a laundry cart, rolled me into the elevator and down to the service entrance, I assume. I couldn't see with the towels piled on top of me. I've been in the trunk of their car ever since."

"_Lily?_ Any idea about _Lily_?" I spoke to her as to a slow-witted child.

"I don't know. I'm sorry. But I heard them talking in the car. Are you going to pay the fifteen million?"

She was a bad actress. I grabbed the discarded stake and rammed it back into her greedy, black heart. She fell back to the pavement, her head making a very satisfying _crack_.

Simone and Beth shouted in protest. Mick merely nodded at me in support of my action.

"If you want this pulled out again, you'll stop your bullshit and tell us where Lily is. Otherwise, my friend Mick here is gonna do to you just what you and your gang did to John and Diana, only no one will ever find the pieces."

Mick, God love him, managed to look downright menacing when he chose to. He even vamped out a little for authenticity. "Now," I continued coldly, "You want to try this again?"

A faint hiss emitted from her throat, which sounded vaguely like a _yes._ Close enough. This time, I wasn't as gentle with the stake extraction. Once it was removed, Mick and I immediately grabbed her arms and hauled her to her feet. She had the sense not to struggle, but moaned in pain from her wound.

"Let's get her in the house," I said. "The sun will be up soon."

The moment we got inside, the phone rang. I handed our prisoner over to Mick.

"How did you like your present?" asked the familiar female voice. "Your next gift will be much smaller and blonder if you don't have that money in time."

"The banks aren't even open yet," I told her. "You stick to your deal, and you'll get your money."

She laughed. "I think I'll change the deadline to ten o'clock this morning. You're Josef Kostan. You'll find a way. Ten o'clock."

"Wait—" I said, at the same time she hung up. I looked over at Mick, who'd set up a trace on the phone before he'd gone to the hotel. He looked at the laptop nearby and shook his head.

"They're blocking the trace somehow," he said. "I'm sure they were expecting this. These are definitely pros."

I pushed Antonia onto the couch in the living room, grabbing my machete to wave at her in warning. Her eyes went as round as they had when she'd been staked.

"Speak at vamp levels," I ordered her. "We don't want your human friends to overhear."

She chose that moment to clam up and turn her head away.

I poked my machete at her rapidly healing puncture wound. "Fill us in on your diabolical little plan, and we might allow you to live." That was a lie, of course. The moment we found Lily, Antonia would be food for the fishes in Keystone Lake.

"You doubt my intentions?" I asked conversationally. "Not a wise idea. We've never met, but if you found out who's been paying the bills for this place, you must have stumbled onto the information that I'm a take no prisoners kind of guy."

"Let me take a stab at her," Mick began, then grinned slightly as Antonia jumped a little in alarm. "Pardon the pun. I think I have this figured out. You came to work here for the Deerlings, found out who _they_ were working for, found some human partners in crime, killed John and Diana, and called Josef to get him out here so he'd be sure to pay up. Am I close?"

Antonia stayed resolutely silent.

"I have an idea," Beth began. "I think the humans recruited _her. They _found out Josef owned this place, enlisted Antonia's help for a share of the ransom, but when she didn't live up to whatever bargain they'd made, they staked her and brought her here, thinking she was dead and that would send a good message to us."

"That's pretty good, Beth," I said, impressed.

She smiled. "Her aura is telling me she is angry, frightened, and feels a sense of…betrayal. I've been watching her, and every time you mention Lily, her colors show genuine concern. She cares about the child."

"Wow, Beth," Simone commented. "That's a pretty handy little talent you have. You sure about the concern part though? Someone who really cared about Lily wouldn't have allowed her parents to be murdered."

I loved it when the girls worked together like that. Too bad Mick wasn't into the threesome idea. Well, the two girls and I, minus Mick…but I digress.

"I do care!" The words finally burst forth from our captive. Antonia sighed in resignation. "It's not what you are all thinking. I didn't want anyone to die."

"Why don't you start from the beginning," prompted Mick.

Looks like Antonia was finally seeing that she just didn't have a choice here.

"The woman in charge, her name is Felicia Madigan. She's the nanny for the little boy next door. Lily was allowed to play with him sometimes, so Felicia would bring the little boy—Hunter is his name—over here in the afternoons. I guess Felicia started noticing odd things about Lily, and Lily let slip some little thing, about drinking blood I think. You know how children are. I don't know how, but Felicia figured things out and threatened to expose us. And she knew who you were, Mr. Kostan."

"Why didn't you tell John and Diana?" I asked.

"I wanted to. But Felicia said if I did, she would send hit men to kill us all, even Lily. But that if I helped them with a fake kidnapping, she would leave everyone unharmed and take the money and leave town. I believed her. And I knew if I told Mr. Deerling, he'd have Felicia killed. I didn't want anyone to die," she repeated brokenly. By then, tears had begun to fall down her cheeks. It induced no sympathy from me.

"Go on," said Mick. "Things obviously didn't go the way you'd planned."

"I was supposed to take Lily on an outing, last night while the Deerlings were away. They'd get home and find Lily gone. Then the ransom demand would come. Lily would have no idea anything was wrong. But Felicia showed up early, and I—I let her in. And she let in those men. Things happened so fast. I was downstairs, Lily and the Deerlings were upstairs. The men rushed past me up the stairs. I heard the shouts and screams, but there was nothing I could have done. If I'd gone up there, tried to stop them, it would have meant my life too. Felicia would have killed me too, but she still needed me to call you, Mr. Kostan, to get you to come to Tulsa. I don't know why. She acted like she knew you, or knew of you. I realized this was her plan all along. She knew too much about vampires."

Mick and I looked at each other. This had been personal, just as I'd feared. The name Felicia Madigan wasn't jogging any memories though; it was likely an alias anyway.

"Why did they stake you?" asked Beth.

"Felicia was mad that they'd been seen, that their car had been chased, the window broken. I guess she wanted to let you know she still meant business. And I'd been furious that they killed the Deerlings. It wasn't what we'd agreed to. When she staked me, she thought I was dead. Poor Lily, she saw it happen, was screaming for them to stop." The woman promptly dissolved into tears.

"You're lying about your part in this," said Beth matter-of-factly. "I see greed in your aura. You care about Lily, but you were also in this for the money."

I was on her in an instant, grabbing her shoulders and pulling her close to my vamped out face.

"Where are they holding her?" I demanded for the hundredth time.

"In the house next door, Mr. Kostan. In the basement. We've been there the whole time."

"What?" This entire time, Lily had been right under our noses. I looked toward Beth for confirmation. She nodded.

"Hunter and his family are on vacation, and Felicia has the security code to the house," Antonia continued, sounding extremely rattled. "Hunter's father, he is a musician and practices in the basement. It's soundproof." I shoved her back against the couch.

"Shit! Well, let's get over there and kill those bastards and get Lily back!"

Mick held up an arm to bar me from running out the door. "Wait. We can't just go storm the castle here. We need to think this through, form a plan. You run over there half-cocked, and you'll get yourself _and_ Lily killed." He looked back at Antonia. "Tell us everything you know about the floor plan of the house and the men this Madigan woman has working for her…"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In the end, it was all very simple. The humans' fatal error had been their own ignorance of vampire physiology. They hadn't killed their loose end, as they had hoped, and Antonia turned out to be a wealth of information. There was an outside door leading down into the basement, and we decided that would be our way in. We figured we'd get in so fast, it wouldn't matter about the security system. Mick would be able to disable it once we took care of Lily's captives. If the police arrived, or called, Simone would pretend to be Felicia. But, we'd cross that bridge when we came to it.

"We'll use guns, since these are humans," I suggested. "Less messy, too." Mick followed me up to the bedroom I used when I visited the Deerlings. I felt a pang as I realized that wouldn't be happening again. That thought made me that much more anxious to get this over with. I slid back the false wall inside my walk-in closet, and Mick and I surveyed my vast weapons assortment.

"Choose your weapon," I said ironically, for the second time in twenty-four hours. Our eyes skimmed past the various machetes, swords, stakes, and rifles, zeroing in on the semi-automatic handguns.

Mick reached for a mean little Beretta. I chose a Glock. We grabbed a couple clips and were good to go.

Downstairs, we looked at our women.

Simone would go with us, and Beth would stay here to guard our prisoner. We'd locked Antonia in the safe room, a room on the ground floor designed to protect people from the force of a tornado; surely it would keep a vampire contained.

"You could go with us you know," I said to Beth, who had pulled up a chair outside the safe room. There she sat, cell phone in one hand, machete in the other.

"I don't think I'm ready. I've…I've never killed anyone before, and I don't think I'm quite there yet in my new vampire mentality."

I shrugged. "Just as well I suppose. When we go in there, we're the judge and the jury. There are no appeals with us."

Mick walked over and leaned down to kiss her. "Don't mind him. You do what you feel comfortable with. If you can't reach us after half an hour, call that number we gave you for the local Council. They'll send someone." She looked up at him, worry lining her forehead.

"Tell them I referred you," I told her. I might not be a permanent resident anymore, but my name still held weight in this town.

I put my arm around Simone, who would follow behind us with only her machete, uncomfortable operating a gun. She'd killed before, but only in self-defense. She could do it again, if need be, but she too hadn't arrived at the point where killing was easy. I knew that in the world of the vampire, however, it was only a matter of time before Beth and Simone learned to do what needed to be done for their own survival, as well as the vampire community's. For this mission, however, Simone would be waiting outside, an extra hand if we needed it, a way around the cops if it came to that.

"You guys be careful," Beth whispered. "I mean it. Don't get yourselves killed taking stupid risks."

Simone and I turned away to give her and Mick privacy, and I could hear them whispering nauseating love words to one another between passionate kisses that might be their last.

"Alright, alright," I interrupted, after I'd deemed the long goodbye had gone on long enough. "Time's a wasting. Let's get this over with."

We went out of the house on the side opposite the neighboring house, just in case the kidnappers were watching. I was glad there was plenty of foliage to shield us from sight as we skirted the fence between the two properties, then climbed it, dropping down silently near a part of the house that had no windows. It was still shadowy in the early morning beneath the mature trees, and we ducked under windows along the house until we came to the nearly hidden door to what Antonia had described as the basement stairway entrance. Simone stood with her back pressed against the house, where she would be close if we needed her. Mick and I looked at each other. _Now _it was time to storm the castle.

I yanked the door open, hearing the satisfying breaking of the wooden frame surrounding it. Security alarms blared in warning all over the house. _Well, there went that_. A flight of stairs led down into a dimly lit room, and we jumped down, only to be immediately confronted with two hulking human men, machetes at the ready. There wasn't even a fight. Mick and I simply shot them both three times, watching in appreciation as they fell to the carpeted floor.

"That was eas—" I began, then my attention was drawn to the second set of stairs that led up into the house's first above ground floor.

"Uncle Josef!" A golden haired angel was calling my name, and relief poured through me at the sight of her, apparently well, but obviously scared out of her wits. But my relief instantly turned to anger as I saw the woman who could only be Felicia Madigan, one hand on Lily's shoulder, guiding her down the steps, the other hand holding a fiendishly long knife before the little girl's throat.

I joined Mick's lead in pointing my gun at the bitch's head. She and Lily stopped at the bottom of the stairs, Felicia's attitude that of someone who felt she held all the cards.

"Drop your weapons," said the woman, "or this lovely little creature will cease to exist." She picked up one of Lily's perfect corkscrew curls and played with it, fueling my rage even further.

I knew she would have to be very strong and quick to accomplish such a goal with that knife, but I also didn't want Lily hurt in any way. I glanced at Mick, and we laid down our guns simultaneously, squatting down to do so. My eyes stayed on Lily the whole time, and, speaking at vamp level, I barely moved my lips to talk directly to her.

"It's okay, sweetheart," I said as calmly as I could. "Listen to Uncle Josef. This woman hurt your mommy and daddy. When I tell you to, vamp out and bite the hell out of her, you understand, baby? You won't get in trouble, I promise."

She nodded faintly, her blue eyes wide. I knew John and Diana had made vamping out a big no-no for her, so I wanted Lily to know that she would have special immunity in this situation.

Mick had caught on to my plan, and while I was spelling it out to Lily, he was trying to distract Felicia.

"What do you want us to do?" he asked her.

"I want you to hand over the money and let me go, or you're all dead, starting with the devil's spawn here."

Amidst our talking and the cacophony of the alarm, the phone rang. It was likely the security company calling to see if all was well. A split second later, I heard the breaking of glass above, and the phone abruptly stopped ringing. Somewhere up there, Simone was more than doing her part.

"Those are big words coming from such a small woman," I purposefully provoked. She pressed the knife more tightly against Lily's white throat, bringing the girl closer to her captor's body.

"Now, Lily!" I said beneath Felicia's hearing. Even though Lily was a child, she was still a vampire, which meant she was at least twice as strong as Felicia Madigan. I watched with pride as the little girl's eyes went pale, her fangs dropped, and she turned her head to the side, latching on hard to the woman's forearm. Felicia yelped in pain, then raised the knife, but Lily elbowed the woman in the gut, giving Mick and I just enough time to reach our weapons and fire off several shots to her head. She fell in a bleeding heap to the floor, Lily following her down and continuing to drink from her. As macabre as that was, I grinned and let her drain the bitch dry.

"Simone!" I called, and she appeared as if by magic at the top of the stairs.

"Everything alright?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, come on down."

I watched in amusement as Simone blanched in horror at Lily's feast, but she stepped over Felicia's body and went to stand beside me, surveying the damage we had wrought. Lily looked up from the body, having drunk her fill, wiped her mouth on her sleeve, and ran into my arms, jumping up to wrap her legs around my waist, her small, dimpled arms encircling my neck like a little koala bear.

"Uncle Josef!" she exclaimed happily, planting a wet, bloody kiss on my cheek. I laughed and held her more tightly.

A/N: Lol. Hope that didn't disgust you too much; you know how messy kids are when they eat .

More on the way soon…I'd love it if you left a review!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Welcome to chapter 4, in which several loose ends will be tied…

**Chapter 4**

**MICK**

The Cleaner didn't like working during the day, but was willing to make an exception for Josef Kostan. Cleaning up the neighbor's house just had to be done. The three bodies were taken away, the basement sanitized. The final step was Simone typing Felicia's letter of resignation, which she left in their kitchen, along with a forwarding address that was one of Josef's post office boxes in LA. We'd know if someone was looking for her. Simone had come up with some story about a dying relative, an inheritance, and the need for haste. Hopefully, there would be no further inquiries.

The tough part was taking Lily back to her house. She'd known her parents were hurt, had heard their screams, but telling a four-year-old her parents were dead would not be an easy matter. I wondered if Josef was up to it. After the cleanup at the neighbors' house, Josef carried the little girl back to his house, and he found a quiet place by the indoor swimming pool.

"You want us to leave you two alone?" I asked my friend, who was still holding a clinging Lily. She hadn't left his side since we'd rescued her.

He looked around at Simone, Beth, and I and made his decision. "No. Stay. I might need some help here." He gave a half-hearted grin and hugged Lily more tightly for a minute before setting her down on a poolside chair.

"Remember how I told you a vampire sometimes faces some really tough shi—uh—_stuff_ in this world?" Josef began. I hid my smirk of amusement. Only Josef would tell a little girl this. "Well, your gonna have to be really, _really _tough now, okay?"

"Why?" asked Lily. Her little lower lip was quivering. She knew it was bad news.

"Because, my little koala…" and he looked at us all, his eyes appealing to us to make this stop. But none of us could do anything, and she had to be told. I nodded in encouragement. His gaze turned a little watery, and he blinked rapidly.

"Are you crying, Uncle Josef?" asked Lily, reaching out to touch Josef's cheek. He closed his eyes, and took her little hand in his. _Hold it together, buddy, _I thought, wishing I had Carrie's ability to send the thought to his brain.

"No, sweetheart. There's no easy way to say this though. Your mommy and daddy are dead. That bad woman you ate and those two goons of hers killed them. But we got them back, didn't we? And they'll never hurt you or anyone else again. You're safe now. You understand?"

Lily was oddly calm; it was Josef having the hard time. "I know, Uncle Josef," she said in her sweet voice. She looked and sounded four, but I realized this little girl was older than me—nearly one hundred years old. She'd seen a lot of things. And while her brain would never develop beyond four, she was as wise and as intelligent as a four-year-old could possibly be.

"You know? How?" asked Josef in surprise.

"I heard fighting and daddy getting hurt. My mommy yelled to me in vampire to hide. And I smelled their blood and then she didn't talk to me anymore. I'm glad you killed that mean woman, Uncle Josef. Are you going to be my daddy now?"

Josef ran a hand over his face, and I heard the sniffles of the women, imagining like I was the horror Lily must have gone through, hearing her parents being butchered in the next room. And Diana's last thoughts too were for her little girl's safety. It was a hard situation, and I felt the beginnings of my own unshed tears. I squeezed Beth's hand in mine, and glanced at her face. She'd been through her own trauma at Lily's age. She could be a big part of helping Lily deal with this.

Josef cleared his throat. "I can never be your daddy, koala. He was a much better daddy than I could ever be. But I'll always be your Uncle Josef, and I'll always take care of you. And now you have Aunt Simone too. She'll love and protect you as much as I will." Simone came over and sat by Josef and Lily in a nearby pool chair.

"And you also have Aunt Beth and Uncle Mick too," Beth said, drawing me by the hand to stand beside them. Beth and I had only met Lily once before, but Josef had known her nearly her entire long life, and if he needed us to help take care of her, we were in, no question.

"Your hair is blonde like mine," said Lily to Beth.

"Yes," said Beth, smiling through her tears. "But yours is so much prettier." She reached out and touched the girl's soft curls. "Will you let me braid it sometime?"

"Sure!" said Lily excitedly. "You wanna see my room?"

Beth looked to Josef, and he nodded. Lily took Beth's hand and practically dragged her from the pool room. We could hear Lily's lighthearted chatter all the way through the house.

Josef wiped his eyes with the handkerchief from his pocket. "I wish adults could be as damned resilient as four-year-olds," he said ironically.

Simone was still looking at the door Lily and Beth had just exited through. "She might seem alright now, Josef, but she's going to miss them, and it's going to come up at the worst times. Bedtime, mainly, I bet, or when we do things in a different way than her parents did. Or…when we leave this house."

"Dammit!" Josef spat, getting to his feet, beginning the Josef Pace of Frustration. "What the hell am I gonna do with a kid? I can barely take care of myself sometimes."

It wasn't the time to point out just how true _that_ statement was.

"Hey, so far, so good," I said. "I know I couldn't have told her any better than you did."

He gave me a look of disbelief. "I was just wingin' it there, Mick. This whole damn thing will be by the seat of my pants. That's no life for her."

"Josef," Simone said, reaching for his hand as he paced beside her. He stopped, looking down at his wife in anguish. "You're not in this alone, you know. And all new parents have to make things up as they go. Diana and John had to. You told me they didn't know the first thing about kids—either one of them—when they first got Lily. They had nearly a century to perfect this. You've had maybe five minutes of parenting. Give yourself a break."

Josef glanced at me. "What she said," I told him with a small smile.

He sighed and gave a half-hearted grin in return. "I'm not a patient fellow—you two should know that more than anyone."

I refrained from wholeheartedly agreeing.

Simone rose and took him into her arms. It was my cue to leave and I did so, walking past the embracing couple to look for Beth and Lily.

I never dreamed there would be a child in my life again. Sounds creepy, but there had only been Beth back when she had been a blonde angel, just like Lily. The fact I that I was sleeping with the former child I saved once upon a time still had the power to mess with my head when I thought about it, so I pushed it resolutely aside. Two years ago, when I thought I might have inadvertently fathered a child, it had seemed miraculous, and I had allowed myself to hope—only briefly—that I could be a part of his life and that of my grandson's. When it had turned out not to be, I had been surprised at my disappointment, my sense of loss. Now, with Lily, there would be a child around. I couldn't believe I was going to be a part of her life. _Uncle Mick. _Never thought I'd be anyone's uncle either. I suppose miracles still can happen.

But I didn't envy Josef's upcoming struggle. He was so selfish and childish himself in so many ways, and I knew this would be the greatest challenge of his four-plus centuries. God knows, he'd need all the help he could get. From the bottom of the stairs, I could hear Lily's laughter and Beth's soft tones in reply. I grinned and bounded up the stairs to join them.

**JOSEF**

I allowed myself to become lost in Simone's kisses, clinging to her and running by hands up and down her straight back, trying to forget for just a few minutes the horrors of the last twelve hours. Eventually, I pulled gently away, framing her face with my hands.

"I didn't ask you, did I? If this was okay with you. Keeping Lily, I mean."

She smiled, and pressed her lips briefly to mine again. "You didn't have to."

"But I want you to know you have a choice—_we_ have a choice. There are other vamps out there that might be willing to take her."

She put her finger to my lips. "Hush. You are the only other family she knows. We'll deal, okay?"

Actually, I wasn't sure it would be _okay_, didn't really want to have to find out, to tell you the truth. This was too much responsibility. Too much—

"Mr. Kostan! Please! Let me out!"

Antonia. _Shit_. She was still locked in the safe room.

"What are you planning to do with her, Josef?"

I dropped my hands from Simone's lovely face and looked in the direction of the pleading voice. This was the woman who'd allowed Felicia to kidnap and kill my friends. There was no doubt in my mind what I was going to do.

"Show her mercy, Josef," said my wife. "She's an old woman. I can tell she feels bad about her part in this. And hasn't Lily lost enough people in her life? How would we explain what happened to Antonia too?"

I closed my eyes against Simone's appealing eyes. "Okay," I said finally. "Please, just go be with Lily while I figure out how to handle this."

She kissed my cheek. "I know you'll do the right thing."

"Don't worry, baby, I will."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I used the key to open the safe room, staying on the alert as I opened the door. Antonia was sitting in a folding chair that had been left in there. The Deerlings had apparently used the room for storage. Paper towels, toilet paper rolls, and other non-food pantry supplies lined the shelves on the walls. Antonia stood up, hope lighting her eyes.

"Thank you! I'm a little claustrophobic. Being in here was starting to get to me. But tell me, is Lily alright?"

"She will be," I said coldly.

"Will you be sending me for trial before the Council?" she asked, and I could hear the fear in her voice.

"No," I reassured her. "There'll be no Council. I think we can handle this privately, don't you?"

"Yes, of course, Mr. Kostan. I'll do anything to make this up to you. What can I do?"

"You can die, bitch," I said pleasantly, swinging the machete I'd held discreetly behind my back. Her body fell to the floor in two parts, the head rolling to stop at my feet. I looked down at her face, staring up at me with the same look of abject terror I'd seen on the faces of my friends.

"Well, I feel a whole lot better," I said aloud, fishing out the handkerchief I'd used earlier to wipe my tears. With it, I wiped the blade clean, then dropped the soiled linen to cover the traitor's face. I left the safe room and pulled out my phone, hitting redial.

"Say," I said when the Cleaner's voice answered. "You guys give volume discounts?"

A/N: I know, this is shorter than usual, but this story is by no means over yet. Just seemed a good place to stop. My next chapter will be longer, I promise. In lieu of chocolate, please submit reviews ;) Thanks!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: And now we come to the REAL excitement of this story—Josef as father figure. Hope you enjoy this chapter. It's a little on the silly side. Oh, and there's a little bit of sexual content, but I'm not sure it's quite "M"rated. But be advised just in case…

**Chapter 5**

**MICK**

Beth and Simone were understandably pissed off at Josef for killing Antonia. I was too, but I knew why he'd done it, and I empathized. The Council was there for a reason, but Josef had only to make one phone call to explain what had happened, and they promptly looked the other way. There were perks to being a four-hundred-year-old multi-billionaire. Besides, The local Council likely would have executed the nanny anyway. Josef just saved us all a lot of time and trouble. Too bad our two legal eagles didn't feel the same way. You can't please everybody, I suppose.

It was mid-morning, the Cleaner was gone—again-and Lily was safe and up in her room, asleep in her little freezer. We were relaxing in the living room, if you could call it relaxing. More like…regrouping. I think we all wanted to find our own cold beds, but we knew sleep wouldn't come easily this day, and there were still some things we had to work out.

"What are you going to do about this house now?" I asked Josef curiously.

Josef swirled his warm blood round and round his brandy snifter. "I'm keeping it. I just need to find new house sitters. That will be a tall order. You know how hard it is to find good help these days…"he smirked.

Considering the last several hours, that was a bit of an understatement.

"And Lily," ventured Beth. "Are you going to take her back to LA right away?"

"That's a good question. What do you guys think I should do?"

"I think we should go back as soon as possible," said Simone. "It will just be harder staying here and knowing her parents aren't coming home, not to mention her horrible memories. A new city, new surroundings, just might be the thing to help her start to adapt to her new situation."

"Unless it's too much change, too fast," I countered, playing devil's advocate. We were all silent a moment, contemplating in our minds the pros and cons of our new little problem.

"How can someone so short pose a challenge as high as Mt. Everest?" Josef asked in sudden amusement. We all chuckled, effectively easing the tension.

"Why don't we all take a nap?" Beth suggested. "It's been a rough several hours, and I always heard you should sleep when your child does, otherwise, you may not get the chance."

Josef slapped the arms of his chair in agreement. "Sound advice, Buzzwire. Sleep—now that's a decision I know I can get behind."

We all migrated to our bedrooms, trying to ignore the scent of death and blood that still hung in the air, despite the meticulousness of the Cleaners. It was probably mostly psychological.

Beth and I looked around the room we had shared a year ago when we lasted visited Tulsa, absently removing our clothes. A lot had happened since then, both good and bad. Simone and Josef's wedding. Beth's accident and blindness and our various estrangements. Beth's emergency turning. And just when things had finally been on an even keel, yesterday's phone call changed our lives again. I could tell Beth was feeling much the same as she sat on the large bed in her underwear. I sat beside her in my boxers, trying hard not to be distracted by what was revealed by the skimpy pieces of black lace.

"You okay?" I asked softly, taking her hand.

She smiled a little wryly and shook her head. "If I had been smart, when I found out vampires existed, I should have run the other way."

I grinned. "Hey, I warned you…" I brought her hand to my lips.

Her smile faded. "That poor little girl. That could have been me, just like that, forever."

I sighed. "I thought you were over that. The Deerlings turned her to save her. Would you let a child die in the streets if you knew you could save her?"

"Well, haven't you changed your tune?" She was referring to Josh, of course. She laid a hand on my arm before I could protest. "I understand what they did, and they've done a good job with her. But she'll never grow up. Never go to high school. Never fall in love or marry. Never have a career. It's sad, don't you think?"

"Yes, it is. But we can't dwell on that. I mean, look at us. Except for Simone, who made the choice herself, we all were turned without our consent. We're all trapped in time in that way, doomed to stay young and beautiful forever." I was trying to get her to see the bright side here.

She laughed, reaching up to caress my cheek. "Mr. Glass Half-Full, what have you done with that dark and self-loathing Mick St. John?"

"I found my other half, of course," I told her, pushing her gently onto the bed, cupping her breasts through her tantalizing bra. "Now, my cups runneth over."

She laughed again, like I'd intended, the sound sexy and deep as her hands played sensually up and down my spine, hovering teasingly just inside my shorts. "You are so corny," she said wrinkling her nose in mock distaste.

"Well, that's _almost_ the right word," I replied, raising what I hoped was a seductive eyebrow, pressing my body more firmly into hers.

She grinned and kissed me, and my love for this woman blotted out everything else for the next blessed hour.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**JOSEF**

Nothing like burying yourself deep inside your wife to find a measure of peace for awhile. And yes, it wasn't difficult to guess, even without the vamp senses, that Mick and Beth were doing the same thing we were. We all needed comfort, all needed something more than whiskey (well, maybe that was just me) to help us sleep. I concentrated on being in the moment, inhaling Simone's scent, tasting her skin, listening to her moans and soft sighs, feeling her surrounding me I as I moved within her.

We lay together afterwards, in our newly retrofitted freezer room, her hand drawing lazy circles on my chest. As outstanding as making love to Simone always was, my thoughts slipped back to Lily.

"You thinking about Lily?" asked my perceptive wife.

"Yeah. Is that weird after what we just did?"

I felt her smile against my chest. "No. This is going to be a huge change, Josef. Of course it's prevalent in your mind. And if you're going to be thinking of another female while we're in bed, Lily is the only one I'll tolerate."

I kissed her temple reassuringly.

"You know, I've run away from kids like the plague in the past. And that's saying a lot because I once actually ran from the plague before I was turned." I grinned. _Aw, those were the days._ "But with Lily, there's always been this connection. There's just something about her that I can relate to."

"You've always struck me as being around four, emotionally," she teased. I leaned down and nipped at her neck for that remark. She rewarded me with a little squeal of protest. "Seriously though," she continued, sitting up on her elbows to look at me. "I've seen you with Lily. You do relate to her well. She loves you. You're her Uncle Josef. Every kid has always wanted the fun uncle who showed up bearing gifts. The main problem I foresee is that now you have to be more than that. You have to be a father to her too. That means you have to say no sometimes. Remember the pony incident?"

Last time we'd been in Tulsa, I'd promised Lily a pony, even though vampires and horses notoriously don't get along. I had one sent to the house anyway, because she wanted it and because I never broke a promise to her. Actually it wasn't a pony, but one of those miniature horses that look like stuffed animals when they're colts. The damn horse was so afraid of the vamp family, that it ran in the street and was hit by a car. It wasn't a pretty sight, and John told me Lily cried for weeks. So that's what Simone meant now. I had to learn to say no to her, especially because I couldn't run away anymore and let John and Diana deal with the consequences of my impulsive actions. Damn shame about that horse though.

"Yeah, yeah. How'd you get so smart about kids anyway?"

"Lots of babysitting when I was a teenager. Also…I was almost a preschool teacher."

I looked at her in surprise. "Really? What changed your mind?"

She favored me with a pointed stare. Awww…must be because it involved _she who must not be named_: the crazy mother-in-law.

"Okay, I understand. But I think you would have made a great teacher. You certainly have taught me a thing or two," I said suggestively. My finger slipped down to encircle a rose-tipped breast. She caught my hand and held it away while I grinned.

"You're incorrigible," she said, rolling her eyes. "A little like a preschooler in that way." I had her on her back again before she could say another disparaging word.

"I think the word you're looking for is _insatiable_." And I captured her lips with mine.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

We'd only been asleep a little while after round two when the sound of Lily's screams tore through the house. I was up and in my robe before Simone had even sat up.

"What is it?" she asked, her eyes wide and frightened.

I sniffed the air, but smelled no intruders. "Mommy!" Lily cried again.

"Shit. I'll go see what's wrong."

I met Mick and Beth in the hallway, heading in the same direction I was.

"Sounds like a nightmare," Beth muttered.

I took a deep breath at Lily's door, then opened it just as she wailed for her mother again.

"Hey, koala. Come here, baby."

She looked totally pitiful, sitting up in her little freezer in her pink frilly nightgown, tears streaming down her face. I reached down into her bed and pulled her into my arms. Her cold little body trembled with fright.

"I want my mommy," she said again. I glanced up at Mick and Beth in the doorway. _It's okay, _I mouthed.

They left, reluctantly, from the looks on their faces.

"Uncle Josef is here. What's wrong?"

"The bad men got Mommy and Daddy! Then they were gonna get me!"

_Dammit. A nightmare._

"But we got the bad men remember? They can't hurt you now."

"But Mommy and Daddy aren't coming back. I want them to come back. Daddy said when you bite a human they can come back. Can't you make vampires come back too? Please, Uncle Josef, you have to make them come back!" Her tears and volume suddenly increased tenfold.

Her strong little arms took my neck in a python-like squeeze. Had I been human, I would have been strangled to death. I had given Lily everything she had ever asked for. It was a stake in my heart that I couldn't give her her parents. God, this was a nightmare for me too.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I wish I could. I'd give up everything I own to bring them back, but you know I can't." I felt the tears welling in my own eyes again, and I cursed myself for the sad sack I'd become.

I patted the back of her halo of golden hair, feeling her tears and snot ruining my favorite silk robe. _Fuck, Kostan, why do you have to think of your clothes at a time like this? As a father, you suck already._

"When I have nightmares, Mommy lets me sleep with her in her freezer," Lily was saying through soft little hiccups that shook her whole body.

_Huh?_

"Can I sleep with you, Uncle Josef?"

"Well…"

_She can't sleep with me; I sleep in the nude. With Simone, who also sleeps in the nude. I don't even own a set of pajamas. There you go again, Kostan, thinking of clothing in the middle of a crisis! _My mind was a frantic mess, but I knew I could at least give this to the poor kid.

"Okay, koala. Let's go."

"Molly!"

"What?"

"She's in the freezer!"

I looked down into her bed and saw a raggedy looking cloth doll with suspicious bite marks around its neck.

"Miss Molly, I presume?" I asked Lily, giving her the doll. She managed to loosen one arm from my neck in order to hug the toy to her chest.

We'd almost reached the door when Lily cried out again. "Blankie!" _God, where was the volume control on this kid?_

I sighed, fishing out a pink blanket from the freezer. She grabbed the thing eagerly.

"Anything else?" I asked, trying hard to be patient.

She shook her head and wiped her nose on my shoulder. At last we made it to the hall, and I looked over to see Simone emerging from John and Diana's room, a small bundle in her hands. I raised an inquisitive eyebrow, and she smiled a little, then followed me back to our room.

"Here we are," I said, attempting to disengage Lily's viselike grip. "Come on, koala, get down on the bed so we can all go back to sleep."

"No." Her hold on me tightened so much I nearly lost the power of speech. Simone walked over to us, trying hard not to laugh at my predicament.

"Lily, honey, we are all so tired," coaxed Simone. "Let go of Uncle Josef so we can take a nap."

"Where's the freezer?" she asked, looking around the room with interest.

"The whole room is a freezer," I managed to say around my constricted vocal chords. "Can't you feel how cold it is in here?"

"Oh." And just like that, she let loose of me and jumped onto the bed. I rubbed my neck as Simone handed me what looked to be pajamas.

"I heard," she said in amusement.

I unfolded them, looking in horror at the pattern: a variety of large fish swimming in a sea of green flannel.

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Hey, those are Daddy's fishy pj's,"exclaimed Lily, still jumping on the king-size mattress. "They're my favorites."

I sighed and headed for the bathroom to put the damnable things on.

When I came out, Lily and Simone were lying in the bed, Simone modestly clad in her own nightgown, the two females talking about shopping, naturally.

"Where's your favorite place to shop?" Simone was asking her, as I slid into bed, Lily between us.

"Utica Square! Especially at Christmas time. It's so pretty, and Santa's there."

It was the middle of summer, and she was talking about Christmas. I would never understand women. I closed my eyes and scratched beneath the chafing collar of my borrowed nightwear. I'd be calling Ralph Lauren later to send over their finest silk pajamas.

"Maybe we can go there sometime," Simone said.

"Uncle Josef?"

"Hmmm?"

"Can you sing me a song?"

"I can't sing anymore. A koala bear broke my larynx."

She giggled. "Yes you can. Please?"

Thank God for a child's short attention span. At least she wasn't crying anymore. I opened one eye, and found myself grinning in spite of myself at the enchanting picture she made. She was as pretty as a china doll and I was wrapped completely around one of her delicate little fingers. I sighed in defeat.

"Okay. What do you want to hear?"

"You pick."

I thought a minute, then opened my mouth with a grin:

"Now I once had a gal, her hair was red

'Twas curly all over except on her head...

Her eyes was blue, her dress the same

But she always fell asleep before I—"

"Josef!" Simone interrupted me, instinctively covering Lily's ears, shooting me a look of extreme disapproval. I didn't point out that Lily had vampire hearing too.

"Sorry," I laughed. "The fish pajamas brought out the sea shanty in me."

"How about something like _Brahms's Lullaby _or _All the Pretty Little Horses?"_

"My horsey got hit by a car," said Lily, her eyes welling again.

"Thanks a lot, Simone."

"Sorry," she sighed.

Desperately, I began another song:

"Now when I was a little boy an' so me mother told me

That if I didn't kiss the gals my lips would all grow moldy.

And I sailed the seas for many a year not knowin' what I was missin'

Then I sets me sails afore the gales an' started in to kissin'…"

When Lily fell asleep after the third verse, I heard no more complaints from Simone.

A/N: Hope you didn't find this too silly or saccharine, lol. My apologies to all you animal lovers. No actual horses were injured in the writing of this fanfic.

Thanks for reading. Reviews, please?


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Sorry I've been so neglectful of this story—I haven't forgotten it though, I promise. I was on vacation for a week, then I got really caught up in my other story I'm writing for "The Mentalist." But here I am again, thanking you for your patience. Hope this update makes up for the wait.

**Chapter 6**

**MICK**

I was sitting in the kitchen, catching up on a little research for a case I was working back home, when Josef shuffled by. I glanced at my laptop clock and was surprised to see it was already two in the afternoon. Josef Kostan, hedge fund trader extraordinaire, never slept in. He defied the demands of vampire physiology and was at work by nine a.m. every business day, meticulously adding to his billions. I sat back in my chair to take in what could only be a sudden rift in the space-time continuum, and felt my jaw drop in amazement. _What the hell was he wearing?_

"Josef?" I finally managed, watching him open the refrigerator in search of breakfast. He looked up at me with bleary eyes.

"Hmm?" he said sleepily, looking around at me, a carafe of AB neg in his hand.

"Are you wearing…_flannel_?" I tried not to laugh, I really did. But it wasn't just flannel, it was _fish- covered _flannel.

He looked down at himself in complete and utter surprise. "Shit!" he exclaimed with the vehemence of a vamp on fire, setting down his blood and fighting the pajama top's multitude of buttons before finally tearing the offending garment off, buttons flying then bouncing onto the Italian tile, before it finally alighted and caught on the gently rotating ceiling fan. He followed my eyes up to the ceiling, and was at once embarrassed at his childish display. He leaned his elbows on the counter, dropping his face into his hands with a moan.

"Long night?" I asked, smirking. He looked up from his hands with a haunted expression that reminded me of someone who'd just miraculously survived a traumatic accident.

"Lily was up at seven, then eight, then nine…you get the idea. If it wasn't nightmares, it was _tell me a story, Uncle Josef, _or _sing me a song, Uncle Josef, _or _can I have a drink of blood, Uncle Josef? _I think I was the one living the nightmare."

"Well, at least you had Simone to help you, right?"

"Yeah, right," he scoffed. "Simone, the supportive wife. That woman could sleep through an apocalypse. No, Mick, it was clearly _The Uncle Josef One-Man-Show, _up until I finally fell asleep at about noon."

"Welcome to parenthood, my friend," I chuckled. He poured himself a mug and popped it into the microwave, rubbing at what looked to be a crick in his neck.

"Go to hell," he said brightly. Then he cocked his ear to listen to the silence. "Hey, where are the girls?"

"All three went shopping about an hour ago. They thought it might take Lily's mind off things."

"Yeah," he said softly, looking around the kitchen as if expecting John and Diana to suddenly appear. The microwave dinged, and he removed his breakfast, taking a long, gratified draught.

"Have you decided what you're going to do?" I asked him tentatively. It wasn't like him not to have a plan, after all.

He ran a hand through his already crazily spiked up morning hair. "I have no fuckin' idea," he said.

I sighed and shut my laptop. "I'm sorry Josef," I said, and he knew I meant about everything that had happened since we'd arrived in Oklahoma. "I hate to have to desert you, but I should get back to LA. I left a case hanging, and the guy's already paid me a hefty advance."

He closed his eyes and drank some more. "Say no more, Mick. My plane's at your disposal."

"I take it you're staying here awhile?"

"Maybe. I do have some loose ends here, obviously, but they could probably wait, or I could hire someone to take care of things. I guess it all depends on what Lily wants."

"I guess when you're a parent, the child's needs come first, eh? You sure you're up for that?" I said it in a light tone, but I was seriously having my doubts about that.

"Well, some achieve parenthood…some have parenthood thrust upon them." He grinned at his own mangled Shakespeare, and suddenly, my friend Josef was back among the semi-living. He poured himself another cup. "I don't have much choice in the matter, now do I?"

I looked at him seriously. "Yes, you do. No one would judge you if you found another family for her."

"I would. _I _would judge me." His mouth formed a straight line of determination. Would I be a bad friend if I told him how skeptical I was?

"Sounds like your mind is made up. You should at least start looking for a nanny, Josef. I think you need some help. And who's going to take care of her when you and Simone go back to work?"

I wasn't expecting the explosion.

"Jesus, Mick, could you stop with the questions for five minutes? I don't know what the hell I'm doing here, don't want this responsibility, but it became mine when I agreed to be Lily's godfather. I can't just abandon her to someone else when the only parents she's known for nearly a century have died. But on the other hand, I didn't think it was possible I'd ever have a child. You of all people should know what I mean. When you thought you might be a parent, you were so excited, I almost went out and bought everyone cigars. I know you think I can't handle this—"

"Josef—" I objected.

"Don't lie to me, Mick. _I'm_ not even sure I can handle this. But I'm gonna try. I owe it to my friends to take care of her, like I promised. What kind of a man would I be if I gave her away because it was too hard?"

"A man who knows his limitations," I said softly. "No shame in that."

"Okay, then," he said, changing tactics. "What would happen if I found a new family for her, and they turned out to be horrible parents, neglectful, maybe even abusive? I would have put her in that situation and would have to help her through yet another trauma when those new parents turned up mysteriously dead." I had no doubt as to how these hypothetical parents would end up hypothetically dead after treating Lily in such a way.

"Josef, there are plenty of vamp couples out there who would love to have a child. It's a rare thing for a child to actually be turned into a vamp. Their blood is so pure, most vamps are unable to stop drinking in time to save them and make them into vampires. I think it wouldn't be as difficult to find new parents as you think."

"But I…" he began, then trailed off, unable to say the words out loud.

"You love her, don't you?" I said in surprise. I knew he had a fun relationship with the girl, played his role as Uncle Josef to the hilt. I never considered that someone as self-absorbed and intolerant as Josef would love an annoying, cloying, needy little being other than himself.

He looked up at me sheepishly, as if loving this child was a sign of weakness. "So what if I do?"

I grinned. "Then you'll have no more questions from me, Josef. If you were just taking her out of some misguided sense of duty, well that's one thing. Loving the child _does_ leave you with no choice. I'm sorry. I should have guessed you felt this way."

He shrugged. "I guess I didn't realize it myself until I began imagining the pain and fear she must be going through at her parents' deaths. I would do anything to take away that pain; I killed for her. I guess that's my version of love." A smiled tugged at his lips.

"Okay then," I said with more enthusiasm. "Tell me what I can do to help."

"You're doing it, Mick. Just being here to help me focus and listen to my insane rants is more help than you know."

"Well, I can continue to do that. Unfortunately, it'll have to be from LA for now."

"Don't sweat it. I'm thinking it might be good to take Lily away from this place, like Simone suggested. As a matter of fact, let's go tonight. I'll give Simone a call on her cell and get them home to start packing." As per usual, Josef's moods turned on a dime, and he was back to his cheery self.

"By the way…what's with the fish pajamas?" Our gazes focused briefly on the ceiling fan, and we both laughed.

"No more streaking around with a little girl in the house, I'm afraid." He sighed. "Besides, they're Lily's favorites."

"Yet another woman has you wrapped around her finger. I never would have imagined it in a million years. You wearing flannel, I mean."

He laughed and headed back toward the stairs, anxious I'm sure to slip into his more comfy Armani.

Maybe I was wrong to have doubts. Maybe Josef would turn out to be a good father after all.

**JOSEF**

I'd just gotten out of the shower when my cell phone rang. I tightened the towel around my waist and answered it with a damp hand. It was Simone.

"Josef," she said, her voice frantic. "She's gone! I just turned around for a second, and she was gone!"

"What? Who?"

"Lily! Beth and I have looked everywhere in the mall. We can't find her, can't smell her…Oh God, you think someone took her?"

There came a pounding on my bedroom door and I looked out of the bathroom just as Mick walked right in, talking to Beth on his own phone.

"You're at Woodland Hills Mall?" I clarified.

"Yes. Near the north entrance."

"We'll be right there."

Mick and I looked at each other for a shocked moment, then I threw my towel off and was dressing at vamp speed. Three minutes later and we were out the door and in my Porsche I stored in the garage. I maneuvered at high speeds through light afternoon traffic down Seventy-First Street—no sign of cops—until we pulled in to the mall parking lot. I parked illegally, and jumped out to see Simone and Beth, shopping bags in tow, looking desperate and frightened just inside the main doors. We stepped inside out of the intense summer heat.

"Should we have called the police?" Simone asked in vamp tones, lest others overheard and reported Lily's disappearance for us.

"No. No, you did the right thing." I was really trying to be calm. No sense getting the police involved in vamp business. Mick and Beth hugged, and we all began sniffing, trying to pick up her scent.

"She left through this exit, didn't she?" Mick said.

"Yes, this is as far as we tracked her. Her scent ends right at the street," said Beth, obviously shaken.

We looked at each other. If Lily were outside, she wouldn't last long in this weather, but the abrupt loss of her trail seemed to indicate someone had picked her up.

"Have you been back to the Escalade?" Mick wondered, scanning the lot for the familiar vehicle.

"It's parked on the other side of the mall," Simone said. "We looked out there and saw nothing."

"Let's check it again," I said, acting on a hunch.

We walked en masse inside to the opposing mall entrance, trying to hurry past the shoppers without attracting too much attention by using unnatural speed. It was very difficult to rein myself in. When we got to the glass doors, I noticed right away some commotion in the parking lot around a silver Escalade, and, opening the door, caught Lily's scent right away.

At that precise moment, an announcement came over the mall's intercom. A child had been found and was waiting by her family's vehicle in the parking lot. We rushed outside, shielding our faces against the brutal sun.

"Lily!" I cried hoarsely, relief like I've never know suffusing me.

She was sitting in the tiny, air-conditioned mall security vehicle, pointing to the four of us as we hurried to her side. She was smiling through her tear-streaked face, telling the security guy I was her Uncle Josef.

"Oh God, Lily!" I exclaimed, opening the vehicle and pulling her into my arms. Her little limbs automatically attached to me in the usual koala-like manner.

"I take it this little one belongs to you?" said the cop.

"Why'd you pick her up?" I demanded angrily. "Why didn't you take her back in the mall and call for us?"

"Sir," he said, pleasant demeanor suddenly gone. "She told me she was supposed to meet her aunts at their vehicle, but that she couldn't remember where it was. I didn't want her alone in the parking lot, wandering aimlessly in this heat."

The women were hugging and kissing Lily as she clung to me. Lily, unused to me being so angry, began crying anew. "Mommy always said if I got lost to go to the car and wait. That's what I was doing, but I got lost even more." At least that's what I thought she said, having to decipher her babbling through hiccupping sobs.

The heat was starting to affect us all, particularly my good humor. "Dammit, Lily! Why'd you let go of Aunt Simone's hand?"

"I wanted to play on the horsey…" she cried, making me cringe as she yelled right in my ear.

"Thank you, officer," Mick was saying calmly. "I think she'll be alright. Her uncle is just upset from worry." He gave me a pointed look. "_Take it down a notch, buddy," _he warned at vamp level.

The mall cop looked a little reluctant to leave while I was yelling, and I guess I didn't blame him. I gritted my teeth and smiled as best I could, kissing Lily's wet cheek for effect. "Sorry, officer. I was just worried," I repeated Mick's excuse. In fact, I was furious at this little girl who could have gotten herself killed and exposed us all for vampires. "Thanks for taking such good care of her."

He looked at us all, four pale-faced vamps who appeared about to collapse from heat stroke.

"We're fine now," Beth said. "We'll get her home and out of this heat. Thank you, officer."

"Well…okay. But you hold on to that little angel more tightly from now on." There was a hint of warning beneath his kindly tone, and it was all I could do no to take the guy out then and there.

"Of course," Simone was saying, "Sorry for your trouble."

"She was no trouble at all. Good-bye, Lily," the man smiled.

She nuzzled shyly into my neck, and didn't answer him. With one last cautious look from mall cop, we watched the man drive off to interfere in someone else's lives.

"Get the air conditioning going in that car," I ordered no one in particular. Mick took the keys from Beth's hands and unlocked the vehicle. We all jumped inside out of the brutal sunshine, and sat there, gasping from the oven like temperatures within the SUV.

In the back seat, Lily still held fast to me, crying like her horse had just died.

"Would someone tell me just how the fu—how this happened?" I finished, using every ounce of self-control not to go ballistic.

"Hey—" Mick warned, his eyes dangerous in the rear-view mirror. Mr. Old-fashioned had this 1950's thing about being polite to women and children. Well, in the 1700's, there wasn't much of that going on. I sighed and forcibly detached Lily from my body so some of the air conditioning could start cooling me down. This vehicle was a rental, so it hadn't been specially modified to blow freezer grade air.

"Sorry," I began again tightly. "I would very much like to know how Lily got lost." My saccharine tone wasn't fooling anybody, however, least of all Simone.

She was angry now too, and her explanation came out annoyed and clipped. "Beth, Lily and I were in the dressing room trying stuff on. I thought Lily was in Beth's cubicle, and Beth thought she was in mine. When we realized she had slipped away, we were both half naked and had to re-dress before we could look for her. She couldn't have been gone more than five minutes. You were looking for the horsey-ride, weren't you sweetie," she said, her tone instantly kinder as she spoke directly to Lily.

"Yeah," the little girl said. "I couldn't find it though, and I got lost."

"We'd told her we'd stop at the horse on the way out. You know, one of those coin-operated things?" Beth clarified.

"But I was bored in the dressing room," sniffled Lily.

"I'm sure you were," I mumbled, still angry, but I couldn't decide which one of them had most pissed me off.

"Lily," Simone began. "You can't ever do that again, okay? You stay next to one of us at all times. And I know your mommy had certain rules, but we don't know all of them yet. You have to tell us, all right, sweetheart?"

"Okay…" Then it occurred to her again that her mommy was never coming back. "I want my mommy!" she wailed suddenly, ear-splittingly.

_Me too,_ I said to myself. _Me fuckin' too._

We were all quiet save Lily as Mick drove around the mall to where I'd left the Porsche in the fire zone. Mall cop was already writing a ticket and radioing for a tow truck. We pulled up alongside him, and I hopped out.

"This your car?" he asked sternly, ignoring the obvious. He really didn't know how dangerously close I was to ripping his head off.

"Sorry, officer," I said in that same put-on pleasant tone I was thoroughly sick of. "In our haste to find Lily, I pulled in as close to the entrance as I could get. Here, I'll move it right now."

He obviously didn't care for me much, and believe me, the feeling was glaringly mutual.

He handed me the ticket anyway, and I managed to take it without tearing his arm out of the socket. "Thanks." I got in the Porsche and headed for home, Mick following right behind. It was probably a good thing to have a little time alone to cool off, literally and figuratively. As I pulled out into traffic, I felt something wet on my cheeks. Reaching up, I was shocked to feel my own tears.

_I could have lost her again. I can't do this. _ I looked heavenward. _God, John, why'd you do this to me?_

A/N: Sort of an angsty chapter, I know. Hope you liked it anyway. Please let me know! More soon.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I continue to appreciate all your great reviews, as well as all you lurkers out there who read but are too shy to review. Please, don't be. Unlike Josef, I won't bite! This next chapter is sort of transitional, but I hope I included enough stuff to keep you satisfied. Hope you like it!

**Chapter 7**

**JOSEF**

If you'd like a lesson in frustration, try helping a four-year-old pack. And not just any four-year-old, a four-year-old _girl_. I thought _adult_ girls were ridiculous packers, but my entire frame of reference has now radically changed. Lily could not make up her mind about anything. Not clothes, not toys, not books. Simone and Beth had tried to be helpful, but the child was having none of it. It was already after dark, and I wanted to be home before daylight in LA. As I surveyed the wreckage that was Lily's room, I was having some serious doubts that would happen.

"No, I don't want Mr. Wiggles in here," she whined to an irritated Simone. "He always fights with Spot." Lily was concerned about the close quarters relationship between her stuffed pig and cheetah. Understandable, of course, in the animal kingdom, but in a child's suitcase? The permanent smiles stitched on each of the animals didn't make them seem violent to me.

"Lily," I said from the doorway, trying to rein in my annoyance. "Tell Mr. Wiggles and Spot that if there is any fighting, we'll simply throw them out of the plane. Threats always tend to work with your employees."

I watched as her eyes went round in horror, and she clutched the two toys to her chest protectively.

"Josef—" Simone began, foreseeing a meltdown in the making. It was unclear whose, however…

Lily looked at her small subjects and abruptly placed them in the same suitcase. She shook her finger at both of them.

"Did you hear that you two? Uncle Josef doesn't like fighting, so you better behave in there." I grinned in spite of myself at her adult imitation.

"Well, that's settled," I sighed. "Now look here, Lily. We have to get to the plane or it'll leave without us. Pick up the pace a little, will ya? And remember, I told you I'd have someone pack everything up here and ship it out to you in LA, okay? Just pack light to tide you over until your stuff arrives."

She looked around her room in dismay. "But my things will miss me staying here all alone! Uncle Josef, you have a big airplane. I know it will all fit."

I felt Mick's presence in the doorway behind me, and could practically feel him holding back his laughter at my predicament.

"Not once all Simone and Beth's stuff is on there," I deadpanned, earning deadly glares from the ladies.

"You know what I bet, Lily," Mick said. Lily turned adoring eyes on my best friend, who seemed to have that effect on all womankind. "I bet that if you hurry and pack your things, Uncle Josef will take you to Disneyland when we get to California."

Lily squealed with delight. "Really, Uncle Josef? Oh please, oh please, oh please!" She was hopping from one foot to the other, looking at me imploringly. I had a sudden vision of throwing _Mick_ off the plane. She attached her little arms around my waist almost painfully, her curly blonde head pushed into my stomach. I shot Mick a murderous glance and reached my hand down to pat her soft hair.She looked up at me, her eyes beseeching and very blue.

"Alright, but you heard Uncle Mick. You have to hurry and pack. If you can do it in ten minutes, Uncle Mick and I will take you to Disneyland."Mick looked extremely rattled by the suggestion. _So there, _I thought immaturely. But the promise had launched Lily into action, and she began throwing things into the two suitcases in earnest.

Beth looked at Mick and me in disapproval. "Bribery, guys? Really?"

Mick shrugged. "It worked, didn't it?"

"I prefer to call it _negotiating_," I countered.

"Well call it whatever you like," Beth said, "but when you're sitting in a giant teacup for the tenth time in a row, we'll see who got the better deal in this _negotiation_."

"Teacup?" I said in dismay. I turned to Mick, who was wearing a similar expression. "I swear, if you weren't already dead…"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

One of the reasons I'd bought a private jet in the first place was to avoid the howling and chattering of little children. So the irony—or was it Karma—of the longest flight in history was not lost on me. Lily prattled on endlessly about everything she saw, heard, or thought, and even though we all tag-teamed talking with her and answering her million questions, we were all mentally exhausted by the time the plane touched down in LA. She fell asleep in the freezing limo on the way to drop Mick and Beth off.

I looked at my friends desperately as they disembarked in front of Mick's high-rise, Lily's head resting in my lap.

"Please don't go," I implored. "Stay at my place for awhile, as my guests."

"Not even if you paid me," said Mick with what I would call an evil grin.

"That _could be_ arranged—"

"Start hunting for a nanny," Beth suggested.

"We definitely will," Simone replied.

"Look, guys, I really appreciate your coming with us to Tulsa. It's been a really rough couple of days, and I couldn't have gotten through it without you."

"That's what friends are for, Josef," said Mick, and I knew he wasn't just saying the words.

"Friends would also help babysit occasionally," I said, only half-kidding.

"Sorry Josef; even friends have to draw the line somewhere."

Beth gave Mick a dark look, then punched him in the arm. He winced at the strength of his vampire newbie. "Ow!" She ignored his cry of pain and turned back to me.

"We'll be happy to, anytime, Josef, once she's settled in." Beth reached back into the car to caress Lily's pale cheek. "She really is a sweet girl; you guys will do fine."

"Thanks, Buzzwire." But as we waved good-bye and the driver pulled away, I looked at Simone and saw my own bleak expression reflected on her beautiful face.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**MICK**

Up in my apartment, I tossed my overnight bag on the kitchen counter and grabbed a bag of blood from the fridge, pouring it into two glasses and liberally lacing each with scotch. For once, Beth didn't refuse the offer of my favorite mixed drink. She accepted it gratefully, and we toasted each other wryly.

"I give them a month," I said, taking Beth's hand and leading her to the couch in the living room. We both sat down with a moan of appreciation.

"Well that's pretty pessimistic, even for you, Mick."

I grinned. "Maybe. But I know Josef. He's not good under non-business pressure. The worst thing is, once he finally realizes he can't handle this, his guilt is gonna make my past guilt trips look like...well, a trip to Disneyland." I picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles, noticing that she didn't smile at my little joke.

"I think you're wrong on this one, Mick. He loves this little girl, and he has Simone there to help. Once they get a nanny, things will start getting better. Once Lily adjusts—"

"It's not going to be that easy," I said softly. "I know he cares for the child—you saw how upset he was when we'd lost her at the mall. But this requires a level of maturity that I don't think Josef will ever reach."

"You underestimate him. After all, you never thought he'd actually marry, did you?"

"No," I conceded.

"Well, that took a major leap of maturity on his part, didn't it? Give him a chance, Mick. I think he'll surprise you. And also, Lily needs someone in her life to love her unconditionally, to protect her and put her welfare first. I think Josef and Simone are the best ones for the job."

"I hope you're right," I said sincerely.

We sat a few minutes, drinking our blood cocktails and enjoying the kid-free silence. I turned to look at her, my beautiful fiancé.

"You still want to try for kids some day?" I asked, my lips quirking. We still had some of Coraline's Cure, and had agreed that someday we'd both take some and see if Beth could still conceive in a human state. But that was a long way in the future, and now that we were both vamps, it felt like we had all the time in the world to decide. For now, we were content to plan our wedding and be together as a couple, just the two of us.

Beth smiled in return. "After this weekend, the jury is still out on that one."

I took her drink from her hand and set it alongside mine on the coffee table, turning to her with a look she knew well.

"Nothing wrong with practicing a little first," I opined sagely, pulling her beneath me on the couch. Her hands slid beneath my shirt, caressing my back and making me shiver with sudden need. Her blue eyes turned a smoky silver, and I gasped as she raised her hips up to meet mine.

"Well, _I_ think we've already attained perfection, but I'm willing to indulge you until you feel more confident in your abilities."

I chuckled and nuzzled into her neck. "How…accommodating of you." I nibbled on her earlobe, sensing how my breath in her ear was increasing her desire. "My confidence is rising by the second."

"Oh? Is _that_ what you call it?" She reached between our bodies to feel how much I was straining against my jeans.

Our smiling mouths met in a deep kiss, and by the end of the night, we'd practiced enough to impress even the harshest critics, or, at the very least, the neighbors.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_Two Weeks Later…_

"How goes _The Great Nanny Search_?" I asked Josef as I sat in my car across the street from a suspected adulterer. I'd been tailing his movements all week. His so-called mistress had gone inside about thirty minutes before, on the very night his wife had claimed she'd be out of town. Quite tawdry and ordinary, I know, but it paid the bills.

It was about midnight on a Thursday night, and I'd been hearing about nothing else from Josef all week. _Nanny_ this, and _nanny _that. As I'd feared, finding a reliable, vampire nanny was not as easy as the Kostans had assumed. I could hear the strain in Josef's voice, even over the phone, and I wished there was something I could do to help. Unfortunately, he and Simone would have to make this decision, with Lily having the final say. The child had not been easy to please.

"It sucks worse than syphilis," he said dryly. I didn't ask.

"Look, Simone and I have got this business thing I have to go to tomorrow night. Could you and Beth…?"

I sighed. We'd watched Lily three times since we'd been back, and while it hadn't been a complete disaster, it wasn't all fun and games either. I was secretly glad I had a legitimate excuse this time. "I'm really sorry, Josef, but Beth and I have both been working cases this week. I can't make any guarantees. You can ask Beth, though." Then, inspiration hit me. "Why don't you ask Daryl and Carrie? They seemed to really hit it off with her at the party."

It had been Lily's birthday last week, and while she would never physically age more than four, it was still a good excuse for Josef to indulge her with more gifts and to show off his new charge to our close friends. It had been hard on Lily to have this first birthday without her parents, so Josef had gone all out. He'd employed a nighttime circus show on the front lawn, complete with pigs and cheetahs (no fights were reported), jugglers and acrobats. There had been no other children in attendance, as we knew of no vamp kids her age in the area, and Josef was still hesitant to introduce her to any human playgroups. He was being way too overprotective, if you asked me.

"I don't know, Mick. They've only met her the one time. I hate to ask them…"

_But you don't mind asking me, _I thought in irritation. I shook my head at myself. I knew I was being uncharitable, but he really needed to find a nanny pretty damn quick.

"It won't hurt to try," I encouraged. "Otherwise, until you find a nanny, you'll be staying home from a lot more business functions."

"You're right. I know you're right. I'll give them a call. Thanks anyway, Mick."

"Don't mention it."

I hung up just as I heard a light tap on my window. It was the adulterer's wife.

"Is the bitch in there with him?" she asked, after I'd rolled down the car window.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, she is. I was just about to call you. You still want to go inside and confront them?"

The woman didn't look so good—I mean, she was beautiful, and obviously wealthy, but she looked fit to be tied. I was frankly worried about what she might do to the cheating pair inside that house.

"You don't have a gun do you?" I tried to sniff inconspicuously for the smell of gun oil. The slight increase in her heart rate and the blood rushing to her cheeks told me more than the faint smell of her weapon.

"No, of course not," she lied. I held my hand out for her purse. She huffed and handed it over, and removed the small handgun—a Lady Smith .357 Magnum.

"I'll go in with you," I said dryly, getting out of the vehicle.

She looked guiltily at the gun. "I suppose that would be a good idea."

We went across the street to the front door, and Olivia-that was her name—unlocked it with shaking hands. I smelled the blood immediately and held up my hand. "Stay here," I whispered.

"What? Why?" I didn't answer her, but followed my nose to the bedroom. Olivia's husband and mistress lay naked, still joined in passion, the gun shot having gone through his back and into her chest. No heartbeats. I don't know how I had missed the shot, except that the murderer must have had a silencer on and I was too damn busy talking to Josef. My mind flashed back to the scene I'd recently witnessed at Josef's house in Tulsa, and I hung my head in defeat. Someone had come in here and shot them, and I had totally missed it.

"Shit," I muttered. "Shit."

I looked up suddenly at the sound of a car starting. I rushed through the house to the door to find it standing open, Olivia Sommers nowhere to be seen. I watched her rear car lights fade into the distance, and I pinched my nose between my eyebrows, feeling the need for a stiff drink. Instead, I took out my cell phone and dialed 911.

A/N: This new case was supposed to be background noise for Mick, but I might consider making this a part of the larger story if you are curious. If not, I'll just continue with my original plan. Please leave a review and I'll be eternally grateful. Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: There seemed to be some interest in the reviews for chapter 7 in Mick's case with Olivia Sommers. I will explore that a little more, but this is still Josef and Lily's story, so it won't become a major focal point. Thanks for the reviews thus far. I really appreciate them!

**Chapter 8**

**MICK**

"Why am I always surprised to find you in the middle of a murder investigation," Assistant District Attorney Ben Talbot said rhetorically, when he and Beth arrived at the Sommers's home.

I smirked. "Occupational hazard, I guess."

His heart always skipped a beat upon seeing me, which normally I would take as a compliment, except that it was because he was always taken aback upon being near a vampire. As well he should be. I wondered what he was thinking about Beth these days. Actually, I thought, looking down at my finace he'd better not be thinking of her at all anymore.

"So, what happened here?" asked Beth as I kissed her cheek in welcome, lingering a little for Talbot's benefit.

I explained to both of them the details of my investigation, breaking client privilege since Olivia Sommers was now a murder suspect. I retrieved her weapon from the glove compartment of my car and handed it to him with a pen through the trigger guard. Talbot took it and nodded succinctly, then went on it to the house to survey the crime scene.

"Well, that really bites that your case went this way. Had you been paid already?" Beth asked.

"Just half," I said. "But I don't do this for the money anyway."

Beth's eyes widened in mock surprise. "Am I marrying a millionaire?"

I shrugged. Money wasn't something we had ever really talked about, but I suppose if we were getting married, I should let her know she wouldn't be marrying a pauper. After eighty years of saving and Josef's advice on investing, I'd accumulated quite a little nest egg.

"Several times over," I replied, trying and failing to sound modest. It was difficult to tell someone you were a multimillionaire without sounding a little boastful.

"Well, that's okay," she said mischievously, "I don't do you for the money anyway." We grinned at each other, both of us wishing we were back at my place in bed.

"Ahem," said Talbot, hesitant to interrupt. It didn't take vampire senses to pick up on all that sexual tension in the air.

"You have any ideas of where this Sommers woman might be?" Talbot continued once he had our full attention.

"I've tried her cell already. Let me try again." I pulled out my phone and hit redial. I was amazed when she actually answered. "Olivia, you need to turn yourself in."

"I'm sorry Mick, but I didn't do this thing, I swear. When they find the real killer, I'll come out of hiding."

"Well, it's best to come in now and clear your name."

"I'm afraid they'll arrest me."

"Look, I have ADA Talbot right here. Do yourself a favor and talk to him."

Before she could protest, I handed him the phone. "Mrs. Sommers, St. John is right. Turn yourself in now before this becomes an even worse situation. If you didn't kill them, you might have information that can help us find who did."

Beth and I could hear Olivia's side of the conversation too. "I think I know who might have done it."

"Who?"

"That slut's husband. She was married too." And then she ended the call.

"Mrs. Sommers?" Talbot said. "Mrs. Sommers? She hung up." He handed my phone back. "Send me that number, will ya?" I nodded.

"I believe her," Beth said. "I think she just got scared and ran."

"That's what they all say, Beth," said Talbot. "Wait—you heard that?"

"Yeah," Beth said quickly. "She was speaking very loudly."

I shot Beth a narrow glance, but she carefully avoided looking at me.

"Huh. Well, I'll check into the mistress's husband," Talbot said. He looked up as Carl was waving him back inside the house, and I grabbed Beth's arm to pull her aside.

I felt a minute like Ricky Ricardo, chronically oblivious to Lucy's crazy antics. _Lucy, you got some 'splainin' to do…_

"Talbot doesn't know you're a vampire, does he?" I asked, at vamp level.

"Well…"

"Beth!"

"No, not yet. You know how he feels about vampires—sort of a don't ask, don't tell policy. I really think if I told him you turned me, I'd lose my job."

I looked at her, momentarily speechless. She'd been a vampire for months now, and when she'd gone back to work with the DA's office, I'd just assumed she would tell Talbot. I mean, he already knew about us, what was the big deal?

"How have you explained your new work hours? I know you don't go in until the afternoon. Are you just part-time now?"

"I…I told him that I just wanted to ease into things since my recovery from falling and my blindness. That's sort of true. So, yes, I'm just considered part-time now, but I pick up extra hours here and there with late nights like this one. So far, everything has been working out fine. Why does he need to know?"

"I guess it's your business, your boss—you're entitled to handle it however you want, of course." I picked up her left hand and my thumb automatically moved to play with her ring finger, but I looked down in surprise when I didn't feel my engagement ring resting snuggly where I'd placed it. I looked up to see her nervous reaction.

"You're not wearing your ring," I stated flatly. I still vividly remembered what her human blushes used to look like, and I have no doubt that she would have been red as a beet now, having been caught in yet another secret. "Let me guess—GQ Lawyer doesn't know we're engaged. Now that, I think, _is_ my business."

I didn't know quite how to feel about this. Jealous? Hurt? Angry?

"Mick. It's not what you think. I—He…wouldn't understand my marrying a vampire. He's already afraid you might turn me."

"I _have_ turned you. You _are_ a vampire. I thought you had dealt with this—"

"You guys are certainly having an intense staring contest," Talbot said. He had always been particularly gifted in the art of interruption. I suppose to a human our vampire conversation would appear as if two mimes were acting out a skit. We'll call it _Two Quarrelling Lovers, _or _Pissed Off Vamp Fiancé. _I guess anger was the emotion I was settling on for now.

"What can I tell ya, Talbot? When you have a connection like Beth and I do, you don't need words. As a matter of fact, sometimes you feel like you can just leave certain words out entirely."

I dropped Beth's hand. "I'll let you get back to work. Call me if you need any other information from me, Ben."

"Mick—"Beth called as I walked back to my car.

I pretended not to hear her, but of course, she knew I could. I could also hear her conversation with Talbot as I opened the car door.

"Trouble in paradise?" he asked in what I chose to interpret as a snide tone.

"No," she replied brightly. "Not at all."

I definitely needed that drink now, if only to prepare myself for the continuation of this conversation when Beth got home later.

**JOSEF**

It was two a.m., and that endlessly boring business/charity function was finally over. I don't even remember what the thing was for—some human ailment that has nothing to do with me, but I think my presence helped garner a few million dollars for the cause. Hey, don't get me wrong—I certainly want humans to live; survival of my species depends on it. Plus, I'd look really good in both the society and business pages tomorrow, alongside my beautiful wife, of course.

I stopped Simone's Porsche in front of Daryl and Carrie's converted warehouse to pick up Lily. I carried a bottle of fine Champagne I'd bought at the auction portion of the evening as a reward for their last minute babysitting. Since Daryl owned a bar and Carrie was French, I thought they would both appreciate the excellent vintage.

As I opened the car door for Simone, we both paused and listened to the sounds emanating from inside the Morgan's home. It was laughter, bubbly and rich as the bottle I carried. We looked at each other in surprise, then smiled. Lily hadn't been laughing too much lately. Then again, none of us had, so her little feminine giggles tugged at my gut.

Carrie was welcoming us even before we got to the door, and her thoughts entered my mind, reflecting the wide smile on her exquisite face. _Josef, Simone! Back so soon?_

I looked at my wife. "She actually sounds like she's been enjoying herself," I said dryly.

_Of course we have! Lily is a little dream._

"Uh-huh," I said noncommittally, eyebrows raised.

_Please, come in. _

We received our double cheek kisses (a tradition I only appreciated from the lovely Carrie) and stepped inside their hip abode. They'd done the converting themselves, from warehouse to home, and I admired the open, airy feel of the high ceilings and the inviting loft. As my eyes rested on the counter of their wet bar, I laughed out loud at the vision that greeted me—Daryl was sitting on a barstool, the mountainous man bedecked with glittery makeup and costume jewelry, a lovely silk scarf adorning his crew cut. Lily, of course, was the beautician, and she was sitting on the counter so she could reach her client, the contents of Carrie's expensive make-up kit scattered around her.

"Uncle Josef!" she exclaimed happily. "Doesn't Uncle Daryl look pretty?"

Daryl smiled at us ruefully, but didn't seem embarrassed or upset at all by her ministrations.

"Yes, koala, he's gorgeous. He looks better than I've ever seen him. A real improvement." That garnered me a dirty look, but when his eyes alighted on Lily's excited face, he grinned beneath his red lipstick.

_I was just about to get the camera out, _said Carrie with a laugh.

"Yes," chuckled Simone. "We must preserve his new look for posterity."

"And for blackmail purposes," I muttered.

"This better not find its way onto the internet, Kostan," Daryl warned, after posing with Lily, her arms draped around his substantial neck.

"Oh, no, wouldn't hear of it." I unobtrusively snapped my own picture with my cell phone. _Facebook, here I come._

I presented the bottle of Champagne with a flourish. "For your troubles," I explained. Daryl got up from his stool, absently removing his scarf as he carefully took the offering in his big paws.

"A '96 Pol Roger?" he said in awe. I smirked as his glossy lips formed the words. "Look at this, honey," he said to his wife.

_Josef, that was totally unnecessary. It has truly been a pleasure._

"It was the least we could do, asking you on such short notice on a Friday night," said Simone.

"We insist."

"Well, thanks, guys," said Daryl, reaching out to shake my hand, then leaving a lipstick kiss on Simone's cheek.

I turned to my goddaughter. "So, sweetheart, you about ready to go home? Go gather your things." I watched as Lily's face fell.

"No!" she whined. "Auntie Carrie was going to put _Finding Nemo_ on the big screen. That's my favorite movie ever! And she bought Play-do for later."

I wisely didn't point out that just the other day, _Monsters, Inc. _had been her favorite movie ever.

"Sorry, koala, but we've imposed on the Morgan's enough for one night. Now pack your bags and let's scoot."

_It's really no imposition, Josef, _said Carrie, for mine and Simone's ears only. _She is welcome to stay the night here if you like. You and Simone must need some alone time after the weeks with a new child in the house._

Good God, that was a tempting offer. I'd love to divest myself of those god-awful fish pajamas that kept managing to swim their way back to my drawer.

"We couldn't do that to you," Simone said.

"Let's not be too hasty," I began, injecting a wicked look into my eyes. Our lovemaking the past two weeks had had to be decidedly _restrained_, given the little ears that could be listening. And sometimes it didn't happen at all, on the mornings when Lily fell asleep in the bed beside us after a nightmare. Technically, Simone and I were still newlyweds, and I for one was having difficulty accepting that with the kid in the house, the honeymoon was finally over.

"But she doesn't have her night things here, or a change of clothes," said annoyingly practical Simone.

_She can wear one of Daryl's t-shirts as a nightgown, and we have a washing machine and a spare toothbrush. Plus, we have a guest freezer. It would be no trouble at all._

"Please, Uncle Josef! Please, Aunt Simone! Please!"

"And there go the eyes," I said in defeat, as she directed those baby blue lasers of power upon us. I looked to Simone for strength against the onslaught, but she only shrugged. No help at all from that quarter.

"Oh, all right, so long as it is really okay with Daryl and Carrie."I turned to my victims—I mean, _friends_—and tried to give them one more out. "Don't you guys have to work sometime?"

"Nah, the bar doesn't open until eleven tomorrow, and it wouldn't hurt to take some time off. Carrie's always bugging me to."

_This is true, mon ami. Please, go home with no worries. All will be well, right Lily?_

"Yes, yes yes!" she replied, jumping up and down.

"Okay, then," I sighed, waving the proverbial white flag. "Give Uncle Josef a hug."

She ran to my arms, jumping up to embrace me in her usual koala style, squeezing me in that endearing, bone-crushing way she had. I also received a smacking kiss on the cheek, and I felt myself melt a little as I usually did. God, was I a sucker; I could refuse her nothing. Lily bestowed a much more subdued hug upon Simone, and we left the trio to their movies and Play-do with plenty of waves and blown kisses.

We got back into the car and I sat a moment, looking up at the lights of the warehouse, listening as the laughter resumed within. Simone put her hand on mine. "It's only for the night," she said softly. "She won't forget her Uncle Josef."

I closed my eyes, feeling like a sap. "Yeah, I know." I started the car, hearing it roar to life, reminding me of how much fun it was to drive Simone's car, and I don't mean that as a euphemism. Well, not totally. I turned to my bride with a grin. "Say, let's go home and play some more…_grown up_ games." I waggled my eyebrows suggestively.

"Okay," she said. "But I'm not playing dress up with you."

"How about doctor?"

"No."

"Post office?"

"No."

"Professor and lusty Lolita?"

She considered that suggestion a moment, then her hand slid from my hand to my inner thigh.

"Fine, but I'm not wearing the skirt and knee socks again."

I grinned. "That's okay. You won't need them." She was quiet a moment, meeting my eyes and twirling a lock of hair around a finger, Lolita style.

"All right. Maybe just the socks."

"That's my girl."

As we pulled into the street, I tried to forget the feeling of dread I felt as we left Lily behind.

A/N: Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it, please let me know!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Thanks for the great reviews. I'm so glad there are still "Moonlight" fans out there. I sure miss that show, myself, so thank goodness for fanfiction! Hope you enjoy this chapter. The situation for Josef is getting tougher by the day…

**Chapter 9**

**MICK**

It was four a.m., and I was about to give up and climb into my freezer when I heard the elevator down the hall open. I sensed Beth. I waited on the couch, sipping my scotch, and was rewarded when my beautiful fiancé used her remote to open the door. She glanced at me in surprise.

"I thought you might have been in bed by now," she said, setting her purse down on a table. She seemed wary of me, and I couldn't resist making her feel even more so. I was still pretty pissed.

"Hoping to avoid me," I said, my eyes cast into my drink.

"No," she lied unconvincingly. She looked at my face and sighed, then sat down beside me. "Yes," she amended. "I know you're mad at me. I guess I thought I could put off this conversation until tomorrow."

I swallowed another mouthful. "No time like the present."

"Well, geez, Mick, I didn't keep my new status from Ben to hurt you." She was frustrated, and I had the feeling it was directed more at herself than at me. At least, I hoped so.

"Nevertheless…"

"I'm sorry," she whispered. At her genuinely remorseful tone, I felt my ire softening. Josef would have had a field day with that pathetic display of whip-itude. I set down my empty glass.

"Look, I can understand you're not wanting to tell him you're a vampire, I guess. I mean, it is your secret to tell. But hiding your engagement? That hurts Beth, I'm not gonna lie."

She reached tentatively for my hand, and those big blue eyes of hers were shining with apology and unshed tears. "It's like I told you earlier, Mick. He wouldn't approve of my marrying a vampire. You know, the undead, creature of the night he thinks of you as? He hasn't exactly had the best experiences with vampires, and if he knew I was marrying one, he'd immediately jump to the conclusion that you were likely to turn me. I didn't want him to use that against me, to think that I was less reliable, less trustworthy, not as good at my job. Can't you understand?"

I guess I could. Her thought processes had boggled my mind on more than one occasion, however.

"But if he knew what you could do now, with your abilities, your gift of seeing auras—he'd find you invaluable, don't you think?"

She shrugged. "If he could overcome his prejudices I suppose. But what if he overreacts and simply fires me?"

"The man's in love with you; he's not gonna fire you." There, I said it.

"What?"

I looked at her sharply. "If you didn't know when you were human, then your vamp senses should have told you by now. That's why I've always acted so…territorial around him." Her eyes skittered away from mine and I knew the truth. She'd realized this herself already. That was the real reason she hadn't said anything to Talbot.

"I don't feel that way about him, though. You have nothing to worry about." In truth, I wasn't worried—about _her _feelings, that is.

"Then tell him, Beth. Or _I_ will."

She was instantly and totally enraged. "I don't interfere in _your_ work."

I raised a contradictory eyebrow at her. "Much," she added sheepishly.

"Then tell him, and if he fires you, I'll help you get a new job. Hell, you could even work with me."

Her eyes widened. I swallowed. Had I seriously just said that? I should really have thought that through a little more…

"Are you serious?" she asked. "Because if you are, Mick, I'll quit tomorrow."

"Beth-"

"Oh, Mick," she gushed, "I've always secretly hoped you'd ask me this. Ever since I quit BuzzWire, this was what I really wanted to do. We'd be partners, in every sense of the word."

She threw herself into my arms, and I patted her back automatically, my mind racing. Was this a good idea? All that togetherness, no time apart..._ever_? Dear God, I was already going to marry the woman. Would forever be unbearable if I had to work with her too? She pulled back and looked at me, her smile truly breathtaking. How could I say no to that?

But then her eyes narrowed and I could tell she was attempting to "read" me. "You aren't excited about this idea really, are you?"

"It's not that—" I began.

"No, don't try to spare my feelings. If you want to take it back, go ahead. You obviously are afraid you couldn't handle the competition." She was baiting me with this challenge, using a bit of reverse psychology. Of course, as a man, I couldn't very well ignore that.

I snorted in disbelief. "Yeah, right. I've been doing this kind of work for fifty years, Beth. Solved countless cases. Compared to me, you're a mite wet behind the ears, don't you think?"

She grinned determinedly. "Why don't we put that theory of yours to the test, St. John. Say, on the Olivia Sommers case. If I solve it first, I quit the DA's office and add my name to your business card. If you solve it first, I confess all to Ben and let the chips fall where they may."

I considered this a moment. I'd turned this case over to the police and Talbot, washing my hands of it, since if Olivia had something to do with her husband's murder, I wouldn't get paid anyway. But I still had my own suspicions that I hadn't fully shared with the police, because honestly, I preferred to disentangle myself from that mess while I could. Now, with Beth's challenge, I had no doubt I could solve the whole thing in a matter of hours, effectively maneuvering myself out of the misguided offer to have Beth working with me, as well as having the satisfaction of seeing Ben Talbot's face when he found out Beth's secrets. I was _so_ in.

I held out my hand. "Deal."

She shook my hand, grinning confidently. "Deal," she echoed.

I pulled her back into my arms, pinning her beneath me on the couch. "Now that we've settled that," I ventured seductively, nibbling on her neck. "you know what that means, don't you?"

"Make-up sex?" she asked hopefully.

"You're damn right."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**JOSEF**

All the way home after picking Lily up from the Morgan's was _Aunt Carrie _this and _Uncle Daryl _that. It was enough to give a vamp a headache. I don't get headaches. Or I hadn't before Little Miss Chatterbox moved in.

"Lily," I said at last, as we sat in noontime traffic. "I'll give you a hundred bucks if you can stay quiet until we get to my office, okay?" I honestly didn't care how many marbles Uncle Daryl could fit into his mouth. The man was a fuckin' colossus.

"Oh, Uncle Josef, you're so silly!"

"Two hundred?"

But she just giggled and chattered away, and I sighed into the steering wheel. With no nanny yet, and Simone in court this afternoon, it was suddenly going to be Take Your Adopted Vampire Child to Work Day. To console myself, I focused on thinking about last night, how it had felt to make love to my wife with my former wild abandon and acrobatics, no worries about little ears listening in (Niles's don't count) on my shouts of ecstasy or Simone's sailor-worthy exclamations. It had been heavenly, truly.

Speaking of Niles-our problems might have been solved forever if our live-in butler could stop being so goddamn stubborn and agree to double time it as a nanny. _"I'm quite sorry, Mr. Kostan, but I don't __**do **__children."_

Well, I'm sure the pedophile patrol would be happy to hear that. But I'd had Niles for fifty years, and Lily only a couple weeks— you know the old adage about good help being hard to find these days, especially vampire help. In LA. Besides, if I fired Niles, I'd be out both a nanny _and_ a butler, which is another headache I didn't need.

We eventually made it to Kostan Tower, and the moment I got off the elevator my secretary inundated me with the contents of my day's calendar, handed me my messages, and reminded me that my latest big fish had been waiting in my inner office for half an hour.

"Jessica," I said to my secretary slash freshie, "this is my niece, Lily. Watch her, and keep her out of trouble, will ya?"

I didn't bother to wait for a reply. Hers was not to reason why, after all.

Twenty minutes into my meeting, and Jessica's screams filtered into my office. I caught the smell of blood the moment I opened my office door, and there was Lily, attached to Jessica's arm like a little leech.

"Jesus Christ, Lily, let go of her!" I moved in to pull her off my screaming secretary, who held her bleeding arm in horror and ran to the ladies' room. Lily looked up at me sheepishly, Jessica's blood dripping down her mouth.

"I was hungry, Uncle Josef. I asked her if she was a freshie, and she said yes."

"Lily, honey," I said tightly, mindful of the amused gaze of my vampire client. "We don't just eat from freshies any old time we want. They have to agree to it. Did you ask her first?"

Lily looked down at the floor, and blood dripped onto my white, one-hundred percent wool, imported New Zealand carpeting. I grabbed a tissue from Jessica's desk and began scrubbing at her mouth.

"No," Lily replied in a small voice.

"Didn't your mommy and daddy teach you about freshie etiquette?"

"What's an _eddycat_? Can I get one?" I pressed the tissue more firmly to her mouth.

I didn't miss the soft snort of the vampire in my doorway. "You look you've got your hands full here, Kostan. I'll come back." He looked pointedly at his watch. "I've got another meeting in twenty anyway."

"No, Marty, just give me another minute here," I said. "We haven't finished our discussion about the kind of service I can guarantee you at Kostan Industries."

He looked ironically at me, the CEO of one of the largest firms in LA, my hand over the mouth of a little girl, and it was like watching thirty million dollars slipping through my fingers.

"Don't worry about it. I'll have my girl call yours to reschedule. See you later."

"But Marty—" I wasn't used to begging potential big clients, but in these tough financial times, even I'd been hit pretty hard. Lily shifted uncomfortably beneath my hand, and when I looked down at her to set her free, my potential client had slipped away, along with his money.

"I told you in the car I was hungry," Lily was saying. I thought back on our torturous car ride and vaguely remembered her mentioning that a time or two, but I hadn't really been listening. I'd been trying to tune her out.

I pointed to my office. "March in there and get yourself some blood out of the little refrigerator behind the bar. And don't even try to heat it up yourself," I said sternly, at the end of my proverbial rope. I won't go into detail about the awful mess she made in our microwave at home, but it wasn't pretty, let me tell you.

"But I hate cold blood," she whined, heading into my office anyway.

"Tough," I said.

"You're mean! Daddy always let me heat up my blood." And then I heard the familiar wail of tears.

About that time, Jessica came back from the restroom, a paper towel wrapped around her wrist. She immediately opened one of her desk drawers and withdrew her purse and keys.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kostan, but I—I have to draw the line somewhere. I mean, she's a child! What kind of a sick monster turns a _child_?"

"But I didn't—" I sighed. No use explaining to a woman bleeding from the wrist. "Fine. Leave! Get out! Scram! Or you're next!" I growled, flashing a bit of fang for emphasis.

Jessica gave a little cry and literally ran for the elevator. When it didn't open right away, she headed for the stairwell. I wondered if she remembered we were twenty stories up. I put my face in my hands and closed my eyes, leaning back against my ex-secretary's desk in defeat.

_Jesus, Mary and—_

"Josef!"

Lost in my pity party, I hadn't even registered that the elevator had opened, admitting my best friend and savior, Mick.

"Mick!" I said with relief.

"Hey, buddy." He sniffed the air, saw the blood stained tissue on Jessica's desk. "What happened here?"

"Long story, but boy am I glad to see you."

He sniffed again. "Lily's here with you? What's she doing at work?"

"Yes, the little…_sweetheart_ is with Uncle Josef today." I bit out sarcastically, nodding toward my office. "Simone had court, and I've had no luck with the nanny situation. After the prize she had in Tulsa, you can understand how cautious I am about finding a new one."

"Sorry, man," he said. I waited a beat for him to offer his services, but it was not to be.

"Say, Mick, could you-?"

"Nope, 'fraid not," he said quickly. " I just had a minute to stop by and tell you about this crazy deal Beth and I made. You're gonna laugh your ass off."

"Could Beth watch her by any chance?" I asked, ignoring his big news for once in our relationship.

"No, she's working a case, just like me. Coincidentally, that's what—"

"You think Carrie would mind taking her again? I mean, I just picked her up from there…"

I heard the unmistakable sound of a microwave oven, and I jumped to my feet, totally forgetting Mick was even there. Before I could get there, a telltale _pop_ told me that my little koala had forgotten to puncture the blood bag before starting the microwave. Again.

"Dammit, Lily! I told you not to use the microwave by yourself!"

"But cold blood makes my tummy hurt."

"Son of a—look at that mess in there! I'll tell you what, missy, you're gonna clean it up yourself this time. Niles isn't here to do it for you, and you scared Jessica away."

Her lip began to tremble, her eyes already wet from her last crying jag. I was becoming immune.

"I'll talk to you later, Josef," I heard Mick say as he peeped into the room. I waved to him distractedly, fishing a roll of paper towels from a cupboard in the bar. I happened to glance at my watch and saw in dismay that my next appointment was due in five minutes. _Shit. _I shoved the roll at Lily and went to my desk, picking up the phone almost violently.

"Get me HR," I yelled to the main operator.

"Yes, Mr. Kostan."

A kindly lady in Human Resources picked up and I practically roared into the phone. "I need a temp up here asap, or heads will literally roll!"

"Yes, Mr. Kostan. Right away Mr.—"

I pressed the disconnect, then dialed Daryl's bar. I had some major sucking up to do, which, despite the pun, was not something that came easily for this vampire.

A/N: You like? Well, please let me know! Thanks for reading.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Well, I finished the other story I was working for "The Mentalist" forum, so now I am free to devote more time to this story. "The Mentalist" is a very demanding mistress, but I am happy to return to my first true love, "Moonlight." This chapter focuses half on Mick and Beth's bet, half on Josef's dilemma. I felt a little nostalgic writing the Mick/Beth scenes. When you read it, I think you'll understand why, lol.

**Chapter 10**

**MICK**

It took maybe an hour and a half to track down Olivia Sommers. She was hiding out at her sister's house in a quiet residential area. So why was I so surprised to see Beth's car parked in front of the nondescript bungalow? _Shit._

I thought about leaving and finding some other angle to figure out whodunit, but I certainly didn't want Beth one up on me in the pavement pounding department. With a sigh, I got out of my car and shielded my face against the late afternoon sun. I'd never hear the end of this one.

Olivia's face appeared in the doorway, and she cautiously stepped aside to let me in. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, and she didn't look her usual put-together self. Either she was a very good actress, or she really didn't kill her husband. I sensed no other humans at home, but one beautiful blonde vampire rested comfortably on a flowered couch, looking understandably smug.

"I didn't do it, Mick, I swear," reiterated Olivia as soon as the door closed. "I was just telling Miss Turner here from the DA's office that I wasn't turning myself in."

I took off my sunglasses and nodded at Beth's Cheshire expression. "Miss Turner," I nodded formally.

"Mr. St. John," she replied, a small smirk tugging at her sensual lips. I tried to put out of my mind just what she'd done to me with those sensual lips last night, and then she crossed her bare legs, and my mouth went dry. Beth never wore skirts on the job. I raised an eyebrow and she smiled innocently.

"You two know each other?" asked Olivia, indicating that I should have a seat.

"Something like that," I muttered darkly, sitting beside my fiancé on the couch. "Olivia, turning yourself in would be the best way for them to take the heat off of you. As long as you're on the lamb, you're their prime suspect."

"That's what Miss Turner said."

"I think in this case, she's probably right." Beth shot me an annoyed glance and I tried not to laugh.

"Well, then, tell me what makes you believe your husband's, uh—" _Lover? Mistress? Whore?_ "_companion_ would have a murdering husband?"

"Well, who else could it be? If I was pissed off about the affair, wouldn't that slut's husband be too?" _Slut _had been next on my list.

"True, but I did some checking and discovered that her husband has been overseas on business for the last week. He might have hired someone to do it while he had the perfect alibi, but then again, you might have done the same, Olivia, using _me_ as your alibi." I still hadn't ruled out Olivia's involvement in this. She had the means and certainly the motive to hire a hit man.

Olivia became immediately agitated. "I told you, I didn't—"

"Please, Mrs. Sommers," Beth said compassionately. "Try to stay calm. I'm sure Mr. St. John is just trying, in his own unemotional way, to explore all possible scenarios."

"_I'll show you some emotion," _I said under my breath, vampire low. Beth pretended to ignore me.

"Can you think of anyone else who would want your husband dead?" asked Beth.

"No. He was such a warm, caring man, when he wasn't banging his whore," Olivia said bitterly. _Whore_ might also have worked, then. She dabbed at her eyes with a well-used tissue.

Beth and I looked at each other, shared amusement in our eyes flashing for a brief moment before we forced ourselves to take the slightly hysterical woman seriously.

"Look, Olivia," I told her. "I could still be on the clock for you, if you let me. If you didn't do this, a private investigator would be the best person to be able to skip over some red tape and get to the truth- unlike a DA's office employee. You could share things with me that you wouldn't be able to with the DA, and be guaranteed client privilege, just like with a lawyer."

I had the immature urge to stick my tongue out at Beth, but she came back with another option for the widow. "Listen, Mrs. Sommers, I'm sort of here unofficially. I haven't told the DA that I tracked you down yet. I believe you're innocent-I can tell just by looking at you-and trust me, I'm a very good judge of character. But it looks bad for you right now, and your hiding out here makes things worse. But I'm willing to do some of my own private investigating in order to clear you before the police figure out where you are—and they will, it's only a matter of time."

Olivia sniffled. "You'd do that for me? Why?"

"Like I said, I believe you're innocent. And I'm more like a consultant, ma'am, a civilian investigator, as I told you. I can work in a less official capacity, and like Mr. St. John, can skip some of that red tape he mentioned. But, more than that, I have full access to what's going on in the DA's office as well. So you see, it would be even more logical if you let me help you."

Olivia looked from Beth to me and back again, no doubt wondering what she'd done to deserve such passionate desire to help her by two near-strangers.

"Can you—can you _both _help me? I know it's a lot to ask, and I can pay—"

"Oh, no money is necessary for me, Miss Sommers," Beth jumped in. "I'm a public servant after all."

Beth smiled at me in quiet triumph, and I totally felt like a heel. "We'll work out my fee later, Olivia. Let me just add that I've been doing this kind of work for a long time—"

"But I have a fresh, more _modern_ outlook on things—"added Beth.

"Okay, okay! You both are hired. With all my cooperation."

"And you'll let me know—"

"Us—"corrected Beth.

"_Us_," I amended in annoyance. "Let _us _know if you think of anything helpful. _I'll _need access to all your husband's financial and business information. I'll continue to check out the lover's husband, but I have to tell you, I think it's a dead end. Talbot is already checking that angle anyway, so we'd just be stepping on his toes in that part of the investigation."

"I'll let you know if anything turns up with that," Beth hastened to reassure her. Olivia wrote down some passwords and account numbers so I could begin running the late Mr. Sommers's financials. While we waited, Beth smoothed her skirt down around her thighs, her hands lingering on the white skin just above the hem. When she licked her lips, I muffled my laughter with a cough so convincing Olivia offered me a glass of water.

"I'll be in touch," I told my client on the way out the door.

"We'll both be," Beth said with a grin.

"Gee, you two should maybe go out sometime," Olivia observed, sensing the sexual undertones. "Or maybe just get a room."

"He's not my type," Beth said before I could offer a benign reply.

"Yeah," I agreed. "She's much too pushy for my taste. It'd never work."

Olivia said a confused good-bye, obviously feeling like there was something going on that she was missing.

Outside by our vehicles, I turned to Beth, and despite my extreme annoyance at her recent performance, all I wanted to do was push her up against her car and kiss her senseless. I felt a flash of déjà vu, recalling the first cases we'd ever worked on together, or accidentally investigated at the same time. I'd forgotten how much fun that had been, how much I enjoyed her quick and sometimes devious mind when she focused her attention on solving a crime. One thing definitely hadn't changed though—working with her this way was totally stimulating, both in my mind and someplace considerably lower. This side of Beth is why I'd initially fallen in love with her. Maybe, if I lost this bet, it wouldn't be such a bad thing after all. Damned if I'd tell _her_ that, though.

Looking into her laughing eyes, I could tell she was thinking much the same way.

"She didn't do it," Beth said, getting inside the protection of her car. I held the piece of paper Olivia had given me over my head like a shade, and we both automatically slipped on our sunglasses. I leaned down into her open window.

"Oh? And you know this for sure?"  
>"Yes. Her aura is clean. She's not lying."<p>

"Okay, I'll concede to your judgment here…for now."

I waved the paper with a grin of triumph. "Well, I'm off to do some checking." She tried to snatch it from my hand, but I was still a much older vampire with better honed reflexes, and I moved it deftly out of her reach. "Uh-uh, Little Miss Curious. Find your own leads."

"Hey," she said, reaching for the collar of my jacket and pulling me down closer. "Are you as hot as I am," she asked softly, a hair's breadth from my mouth.

"Not possible," I said, before I fastened my lips to hers, dipping in my tongue for a quick taste. Just to be on the safe side, I held Olivia's paper securely behind my back.

She noticed and laughed sexily, then moved away from my seeking lips to start her car. "See ya later, St. John."

I stood in the sun as long as I could stand it to watch her back out and drive away. Shaking my head in amusement and frustrated desire, I climbed into my own car, the taste of her still tantalizing my tongue.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**JOSEF**

It was two a.m. before I finally got to the Morgan's to collect Lily. The couple invited me in, gesturing that I take a seat. After Daryl poured me a scotch, I looked around, amazed at the quiet.

"Where's Lily?" I asked.

"_She's asleep," _responded Carrie.

I was genuinely surprised. "Asleep? It's only two. What did you do, drug her? And where might I buy such a valuable commodity?"

Daryl laughed. "We just got back home actually. I think we wore her out. They were having a special night at the zoo thing. Can you believe she told us she'd never been?"

It made sense. Unless it was raining or snowing, any all-day tour outside wouldn't be doable for a vampire.I wondered why her parents hadn't taken her before. Something else I'd never know.

"_She especially enjoyed seeing the koala bears."_

I laughed, and had a minor twinge of jealousy that I hadn't been there with her for that.

"Well, I can't thank you guys enough. Actually…I'd like to offer up my house in Tahoe for a week, anytime you choose."

"It's really not necessary," Daryl said. "We love having her."

"But you have work too, that I'm interfering with. I mean, you can't take time off forever to see to my kid."

Daryl and Carrie exchanged a glance, and I realized she was "speaking" to him in his mind and leaving me out of the conversation. Daryl nodded slightly at whatever she'd said.

"_Actually, we've been meaning to suggest something. You know, I work at the bar mainly to help out Daryl and keep myself occupied. It's not really something I'm over the moon about—no offense, cherie," _she nodded and smiled at her husband, who grinned reassuringly.

"_So it is nothing for me to be at home with Lily. Daryl has plenty of waitresses."_

I knew what she was getting at, but I felt compelled to put her off a little; I'm not sure why. "If you need a more exciting career, Carrie, you could do something like…modeling, for example. And I have personal relationships with lots of agencies in this town. Hell, I've kept most of them in business by hiring their models as freshies and party favors."

Daryl looked annoyed. "No offense, Josef, but I really don't want my wife parading around half-dressed for a lot of slobbering men to get their jollies. Call me old-fashioned…"

"Seriously? Have you _seen _your wife?" Of course he'd seen his wife. She was one of the most beautiful women _I _had ever seen, myself, and that was definitely saying a lot. All that jet-black princess hair and full red lips, topping a body that would bring a man to his knees (and hopefully put her in that position too)—why, if I weren't happily pussy-whipped…

I knew I was pushing it with Morgan, but I didn't know if I could stop. I think I was panicking a little, and when I panicked, my mouth ran.

Daryl's eyes narrowed. "Change the subject, Kostan," he warned. While he wasn't as old as I was, he could easily break me in half, and he didn't have nearly as much patience with me as Mick had.

"_Daryl, he is only joking, aren't you, Josef? Besides, I wouldn't be caught dead—so to speak—in those high heel contraptions models must wear. Thank you, Josef, for the lovely compliment, however." _Then she kicked Daryl out of her brain a minute and gave me a Josef-only message: "_Don't press this with him, Josef. He is very protective and very conservative. Ironic, no?"_

I nodded slightly and hoped Daryl didn't notice I was communicating quietly with his wife. Carrie and I were about the same age, give or take fifty years, so it was ironic indeed that a man turned in the 1950's would have values eighteenth century folk would call _old-school. _He and Mick suffered from the same infirmity, apparently—always on the look-out for their next merit badge.

"Sorry, man, just making conversation," I said, turning the charm back on. I took a fortifying drink of scotch and moved as if to stand. "I'll just be collecting my little hell's angel now—"

"_Wait, Josef—our proposition?" _she reminded me needlessly.

"Yes?"

"_Things seem to be very hectic at your home lately—you are very busy with work and Simone is heavily involved in that court case. I know it's been hard to find a nanny, and you are understandably gun-shy about finding a reliable one that Lily likes, so—" _She shot her husband an appealing look.

"What my wife is trying to say is that we would love to keep Lily here with us until things settle and you have more time to devote to finding a permanent solution. We know how suddenly this responsibility was thrust upon you, and we're not nearly as busy right now as you and Simone are."

It was, of course, what I had expected them to say. They'd obviously bonded with Lily, and she with them. Guilt weighed heavily on me. I was grumpy and frustrated most of the time in recent days, and maybe I was taking it out on Lily. I wondered if she was complaining about me to the Morgan's. Maybe they thought I was unfit. If I were brutally honest, though, my frequently foul mood was _because of_ Lily. My old insecurities about my fitness as a parent came to the fore, and I looked morosely down into the amber liquid in my glass.

"_It would only be temporary, of course,_" Carrie attempted to reassure me. I looked into her beautiful face, saw how much she wanted this. She was downright eager for it, I realized. I was ashamed that such a big part of me wanted to jump at their offer.

"I don't know…" I hedged. "She's already been through so many changes lately…"

"We would keep her so occupied she wouldn't have time to dwell on her change in scenery. Come on, Josef; you'd be doing my wife a favor as much as we would you."

I looked from one of them to the other. They truly wanted this; it wasn't just to be helping me out of a bind.

"Okay," I agreed, and was rewarded by a huge smile from my hostess. "But the minute she starts driving you insane, you call me."

I stood, taking none of the pleasure I usually did in awkward situations. "If you don't mind, I'll uh, just go kiss the little rugrat goodnight."

"_Sure—through there_," Carrie pointed to the hallway that led to their guest bedroom. I walked into the darkened room where Lily lay tucked inside her clear freezer bed. I opened the lid and stared down at my little charge, so sweet in repose, her dimpled arms wrapped snuggly around her stuffed koala bear—a recent acquisition from the zoo, no doubt. Ice crystals had already formed on her eyelids, and I was overwhelmed with a bittersweet mixture of love and guilt. I realized just how much I missed John and Diana. They had believed I would take care of their little girl, had entrusted me with her life, and I was failing them miserably, passing her around like a re-gifted Christmas present.

"I'm sorry, koala," I whispered. I kissed my fingers and touched her smooth cheek, then gently shut the lid. I clutched at my dead heart, an unfamiliar pain seeming to shock it momentarily back to life.

Back in the living room, I put on my most carefree smile. "I'll have some more of her things sent over tomorrow. It's not too late to change your minds, you know, rescind your generous offer…"

They were both grinning like excited children. "_Not at all. You just let us know when you want her back."_

My eyes strayed to the hallway again, and I wondered sadly when that might be. "I'll check in tomorrow," I said.

I shook Daryl's hand and felt the sweetness of Carrie's lips on each of my cheeks. "Thanks, you guys, seriously. You're lifesavers."

"No problem man. Take all the time you need."  
>"<em>Yes, Josef. No rush, truly."<em>

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

The ride home seemed tediously long, and I was grateful to see Simone's Porsche parked in the circle driveway.

My wife greeted me in the foyer, and I tossed my suit coat on the nearest table and took her gratefully into my arms.

"What's wrong, Josef?" she asked with concern, likely feeling the defeat in my embrace. "Where's Lily?"

I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself not to cry like I wanted to. "She was already asleep at the Morgan's," I said into her hair. "They offered to keep her for a few days more. I-I let them."

She pulled away from me a little to see my face. "Are you really okay with that?"

"Yes. No…I don't know." It was as honest a phrase as I had ever spoken.

"They're good people, Josef," said my wife, wrapping her arms about me again.

"Yes," I agreed. "Yes, they are."

A/N: I know the ending is a little angsty, but that will change in future chapters, I promise. Hope you are continuing to enjoy this. I really had fun with the Mick/Beth scene. Did you? Thanks for reading.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews you've posted. You all rock! This chapter advances the plot in what I hope is an interesting way. Also, it's a mild break from Lily, who I know is very annoying (purposefully so, lol). I hope you enjoy it!

**Chapter 11**

**MICK**

I couldn't find anything interesting in Roy Sommers's file. He wasn't in debt, no unusual expenditures or deposits. He was very well off, being a partner in his accounting firm. One thing that stirred my memory was the name of the firm—Hewitt and Sommers. I did a search of the name and found out that one of their clients was Kostan Industries. I was fairly sure that was a coincidence; such a messy shooting was not Josef's style, and he certainly would have had the Cleaners over immediately had he been responsible. Besides, I'd smelled no evidence of a vamp presence at the scene. At any rate, it wouldn't hurt to see if Josef knew anything about it. The man was like the _Reuters_ of vampire information.

I shut down my laptop with a frustrated sigh. I wondered if Beth was faring any better investigating his mistress, Louisa Wicker's husband. Part of me hoped not, because I hated the idea of losing to Beth. Not so much because I had reservations about working with her full-time (though that was certainly part of it), but also because she and Josef were similar in their reactions to winning one over on me; neither of them ever let me hear the end of it.

I reached up and ran a hand through my still-long hair. So far, I'd dodged that bullet—Josef had been so preoccupied with Lily that he hadn't collected on his own bet. As for Beth…her win would be a more permanent change. Working with her today had been great—incredibly hot, actually. I was afraid that the novelty would wear off very soon, however. Besides, she really needed to clue in Talbot on what was going on with her before something inadvertently slipped out when she didn't have control over it. And I'd be lying to myself if I didn't admit that it still hurt she'd kept our engagement a secret.

A thought from nowhere suddenly occurred to me, and I restarted my computer, deciding to do a search on Olivia Sommers's financial statement. I instantly hit a roadblock, so I picked up the phone to call Logan.

"Hey, Mick," he said brightly, and I heard him turning down the sound on whatever video game he was playing. "What's up, man? Don't tell me you and Beth have adopted a kid too?"

Logan's lack of tact never ceased to amaze me. "No, Logan, thanks for asking though. How about you and Stacy?" I threw back at him, grinning evilly to myself when he hemmed and hawed uncomfortably. Logan was even less father material than Josef. I let him off the hook after a couple gratifyingly amusing minutes. "Anyway, the reason I'm calling- I need you to run the financials for a Mrs. Olivia Sommers. Can you do that for me?"

"Don't tell me, run the tab?"

"I'm good for it," I said in annoyance.

"Yeah, sure, Mick. I hate to start sending out invoices, but…"

"Fine, fine. How much do I owe you?"

He acted like he was looking it up on his computer, but I knew damn well he knew to the penny how much he was due, the old miser. I wish I'd actually been keeping track, because I had no idea how many little favors I called into him a month. He could very well be cheating me, except he knew if I caught him, I'd kick his ass but good.

"Counting today…twenty-five-hundred. Maybe I should start charging late fees." The man seriously must have a death wish.

"Actually," I countered dangerously, "I'm thinking I deserve a return-customer discount. Don't try to shake me down, Logan. There are plenty of other computer geniuses in this city."

He backtracked immediately. "Hey, no offense. Just lookin' out for business, you understand?"

"You'll get paid, Logan, just do that research on Olivia Sommers. And I need it yesterday, understand?"

"Sure thing, Mick. I'll call you back."

The line went dead. I was annoyed another few seconds, then I chuckled heartily. I realized the cause of Logan's sudden backbone. Funny how getting laid on a regular basis can boost a man's confidence. Speaking of which…

I speed-dialed Beth.

"Hey, there handsome," came her warm, sexy voice. "How's the research going?"

I grinned. "Making progress," I lied. "You?"

"Oh, just had a visit with the widower. His aura tells me he didn't do it, Mick; he's legitimately sad his wife is dead. I guess we're back at square one."

"Hmmm…I'm looking into another angle here. How sure are you about Olivia's innocence?"

"You doubting my skills, Mick?" Her warm voice turned suddenly icy. I could imagine those blue eyes of hers flashing, then narrowing angrily. The thought made me smile.

"Don't get all huffy, now. I know your analysis is excellent. Just re-affirming."

"Uh-huh. Good, because you know how pissed off I'd be if I thought you were _doubting_ me…"

"Yeah, I know. Believe me, I wouldn't want to go home to a _pissed-off_ Beth," I replied, tongue in cheek.

"And now you're mocking me. Listen, buster, there are ways I can make you pay for your insolence."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really? Wait a second—let me undo my jeans before you tell me."

She burst out laughing, as I'd intended. "You are really bad, Mick St. John. I'll see you at your place later, where we can properly finish this conversation." Her tone went low and put into my head lots of sensual images I would definitely be exploring later.

"See ya later, sweetheart," I said, unashamed at how utterly smitten I must have sounded.

"Yes, you will," she promised, and damned if her voice didn't sound suspiciously like mine.

**JOSEF**

Between finding a replacement for my last secretary and conducting business, I had to find time to hire a nanny. I figured it would be similar to hiring a secretary, so I just called the temp agency that I knew handled vampire applicants, and asked for suggestions. Two hours later, there were ten women waiting outside my office for an interview. They didn't know exactly what they were interviewing for, but I imagine just knowing they'd be personally employed by me had them curious enough to find out. Also, jobs were pretty scarce in this economy.

After two hours, I sent them all packing. I felt like I'd been conducting a jury selection, and I wished heartily that Simone had been here to help, she being familiar with those types of things. In the end, I excused them all without expressed cause; Simone would have said I'd posed way too many peremptory challenges. But what can I tell you—nanny selection was very subjective.

"Anymore out there, Chandra," I asked my new secretary via the intercom.

"No, sir, Mr. Kostan. May I assist you in any other way?"

"Yeah," I said. "Get in here. I'm hungry."

A pint later, and I was physically fuller but emotionally drained. I dabbed at my lips as Chandra left, a tissue pressed to her wrist, just as Mick wandered in, sensing in an instant that I'd just finished dining.

"Sorry, man," I said, "Chandra's all tapped out. May I offer you refreshment of the bagged variety?" As if he would ever utilize one of my freshies. It was still always fun to tweak his nose a little about it.

"No, thanks. Just here to see how things are going. Last time I was here, you seemed a little…frazzled."

"Frazzled? Josef Kostan does _not_ get frazzled."

"Stressed? Hassled? Tense?"

"A little tense, maybe," I said, choosing the least emasculating of the adjectives, although considering how crazy I'd been with Lily in the office, all of them certainly applied.

"Simone told Beth that Lily was with the Morgan's for a few days."

"Yeah," I said, the subject still a little touchy. "I've been interviewing nanny candidates today. I feel a little like Goldilocks. One was too hot, one was too cold, too hard, too soft-none of them just right, however. I'm about to chuck it all and be a stay-at-home-uncle."

Mick rolled my eyes. "I'd give that a week," he said unhelpfully.

I changed the subject; it would be nice to focus on someone else's problems for a while, and Mick usually was chock full of those. "So, what was it you wanted to talk to me about yesterday, while I was otherwise…engaged?"

He told me about the case he and Beth were working, and, more interesting, about their little bet.

"So, Turner-St. John Investigations…has a nice ring to it." He gave me a dirty look, and I laughed.

"Not funny," he said in annoyance. "Don't you have any faith in my fifty years of PI experience?"

I grinned. "Sure I do, Mick. But Beth is an out-of-the-box thinker, like me. Also, don't you think it's her call whether to share stuff with Dudley Do-right of the DA's office?"

He seemed uncomfortable with this assertion, and I knew it had to be about jealousy of Talbot.

"Yeah, well…I think I want a woman who would be proud to wear my ring anywhere."

Bingo. 

"Mick, my friend, when are you ever going to learn that women are truly the biggest mysteries of the universe? They're like the black holes of logic. Everything logical and understandable gets sucked into their uncharted depths, never to be seen or heard from again, and we poor men hang onto logic for dear life, lest we lose it and get pulled in after."

"That's a very dramatic metaphor," Mick said in amusement. "Dramatic- Freudian even, but somehow, scarily true."

I nodded solemnly.

"Anyway," Mick said, returning to the subject of his murder investigation. "The name of the husband's firm should sound familiar to you—Hewitt-Sommers."

Awww. I thought the description Mick had given of the crime scene sounded familiar. I now knew exactly what he was talking about. I hadn't heard Mick was involved.

"Yeah, I know them. So, was it Sommers that got whacked?"

"Yeah. How did you know?"

I shrugged noncommittally.

"Too bad. He was a good accountant. A little uptight, as accountants tend to be. I'm surprised he had the balls to cheat on his wife—I've met Olivia before; she's a real pistol."

"An appropriate comparison. She's hiding out at her sister's, and though she denies she shot her husband and his mistress, she refuses to come in. Believe me, despite Beth's positive read on her, I have my suspicions."

I nodded, trying to decide how much to tell him about what I knew of the murder. It was pretty fun to watch him put his detective hat on, and the bet with Beth was too delicious to stop now.

"How much would it strain our friendship if I said I was pulling for Beth?" I asked curiously.

He grinned. "Go ahead, Josef. She needs all the help she can get. What about your black hole metaphor though? If that's true about women and logic, shouldn't you be rooting for _our_ team?"

"Just because they seem illogical to us, Mick, doesn't mean we should discount women's intuition." I shook my head at his befuddled expression. "Yeah, I know. There's the rub."

Mick sighed and rose from the leather chair. "Well, I'd better get back on this. Don't want Beth to think she's a step ahead of me."

"Nope, wouldn't want that."

My friend headed for the door. "Hey, Mick. Don't think you're getting away with it."

"What?" he asked, honestly confused.

"The hair. You still owe me a haircut."

He laughed. "Just name the time and place, Josef. I haven't forgotten."

I nodded. "I'll check my calendar. See ya round, buddy. And good luck on that other bet. It will be sad to see you hairless _and_ henpecked."

"Go to hell, Josef," he said cheerfully.

"I'm married, Mick. Already there."

After he'd gone, and I was sure he was well out of vampire earshot, I picked up the phone.

"Well, hi, Josef," answered Beth. "If you're calling about babysitting—"

"No, not at all. Carrie's helping me this week. No, nothing to do with that actually. Mick just left here."

"Oh, really? I'm guessing he filled you in on our little wager."

"Yes, and I have to tell ya, I'm on your side, Blondie."

"You don't say." I chuckled at her skeptical tone. Didn't anyone believe me when I was being nice?

"Seriously, Beth, I am. I think if you don't want Talbot to know you're a vampire, you shouldn't be guilted into telling him. And also, I like the idea of your working together with Mick. You keep him on his toes."

"Well, in that case, thank you, Josef; I appreciate your support, even if it does get Mick mad at you."

I smiled. "The reason I called wasn't just to give you moral support. How about some inside information regarding your case?"

I could almost see her gaze sharpening and her ears pricking up. "You know something about the Sommers murder?"

"Yep. Ray Sommers's business partner, David Hewitt, put out a hit on him. I don't know why, exactly, but when a vamp calls for a human hit, the Council kind of wants to hear about it first, otherwise, it's a big no-no."

"You sure about this, Josef?"

"Sure as shootin'—if you'll pardon the pun."

"So David Hewitt is a vampire, eh? And he didn't tell the Council why he wanted Sommers dead?"

"Nope. He didn't have to. We assumed he had a good reason. The Council just needs a little heads-up when it comes to vamp on human crime. Technically, it was human on human, since the hitman wasn't a vamp. We try to stay out of everyone else's business, but if somehow a human killing gets linked to the vampire community, we need to be able to get on top of it quickly, and not be taken by surprise."

"How very…preemptive of you." I could tell Beth still didn't approve of vampire justice, even though it was just a little hypocritical of her now.

"Why was the woman killed too? Collateral damage?" There was that disapproving tone again.

"Like I said, Beth, I've no idea. I'll leave that to you and your top-notch detective skills. And by the way, you can't tell the police."

"Well then why the hell did you tell me, Josef? I work with the DA's office, remember?"

"Like I said, I want you to win the bet. Mick doesn't always know what's best for him; I'm just trying to look out for his interests. And try to remember you're a vampire now, Beth. We protect our own because that protects the community as a whole. That's one of the reasons you're working with Talbot, right?"

There was silence on the line a moment as she tried to absorb this information I dropped on her. Then:

"Mick is going to be so pissed off at us, Josef."

"Why? Are you going to tell him I told you? That would sort of nullify your win, wouldn't it?"

She sighed. "Well, at least we can solve this case. But Mick's client, Olivia Sommers is still on the hook for it. The only way to clear her name is to expose the real killer. And since you took that option out of my hands…"

"You let me take care of that aspect of things, Beth. I'll make a few calls and stop them sniffing around Olivia."

"You can do that?"

"Remember who you're talking to, Beth."

She laughed softly. "How could I possibly forget? Well, thanks, Josef. Now all I need to do is get some evidence to convince Mick. Even though it's solved, this case just got even more complicated. Top that off with keeping secrets from Mick, and I'm really between a rock and a hard place here. You remember the last time we kept a secret from Mick? I wonder if I should really be thanking you or yelling at you."

"Oh, you'll thank me when there's a shiny new plaque on Mick's office door with your name on it. And by the way, be careful when you're investigating Hewitt. He's a mean son-of-a-bitch."

"I will. Now, let's hope Mick doesn't get to the truth before I do."

"He won't. Now, go get 'em tiger."

We hung up and I grinned to myself. It was fun to stir up the pot, plus I realized I hadn't thought of my own problems for at least thirty minutes.

A/N: I know—won't they ever learn? LOL. Hope you like this little twist. Please let me know what you think!


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Your reviews continue to inspire me! Please keep them coming. This tale will be winding down soon, so I hope I can keep you entertained until the end. Now, on to…

**CHAPTER 12**

**JOSEF**

"I've found a nanny, Mick. And she's practically perfect in every way."

"You do know you've just described Mary Poppins."

I chuckled into the phone. "Hey, can I help it if I'm great at headhunting?"

"That used to mean something else with you."

"Well, normally, that's true. Look, I've gotten her settled in at my place, and I'm just going by the Morgan's to pick up Lily. You can wish me luck, but I'm not gonna need it with this lady."

"What does Simone think of her?" asked Mick.

_Simone? Shit. _"Uh, it's a surprise. But I'm sure she'll be just as pleased as I am."

Mick gave a small sound of disapproval. "Well, then I _will _wish you luck, Josef, because if your wife isn't happy…" There was no need for him to finish that thought, and I for one didn't even want to contemplate Simone's reaction if she didn't like the new nanny.

We said our goodbyes and hung up, and I drove on to the Morgan's converted warehouse. Lily was happy to see me, but I noticed Carrie's slight frown as she answered the door. She masked it immediately, however.

"_You are back to get her already?"_

"Yes! I have found a nanny that will solve all our little problems," I said, looking pointedly at Lily, who was clutching me in her usual marsupial fashion.

"She's not mean like Antonia, is she?" asked Lily, breaking my heart with the flash of fear in her large eyes. I kissed her forehead tenderly.

"Of course not, sweetheart. Uncle Josef has picked out the best nanny ever. You ever seen _Mary Poppins?"_

"Yes. It's one of my favorites."

"What a coincidence- it's your Uncle Mick's too," I said with a smirk.

"Did you hire Mary Poppins, Uncle Josef?" she asked excitedly.

"No, she was unavailable, but I got the next best thing. She's waiting for us at home, so run along and pack your duds and we'll go meet her."

"Oh, boy! Maybe she'll let me use her umbrella!"

I caught Carrie's concerned expression. She spoke for my brain only. _"Josef, I don't mean to interfere, but maybe you should be more cautious about getting her hopes up. After her last nanny experience she may be a little skittish."_

I sighed. "Yeah, I know. But I can't keep taking advantage of you and Daryl all the time."

"_It is no trouble, really." _She contemplated me a moment with her vibrant eyes. Aside from Simone, Carrie Morgan was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. She was simply captivating, and when she focused all her attention on you, well, I defy any man to resist her. She seemed now to be gathering her courage to tell me something. Her eyes even watered slightly, and I tensed, hating the idea that this woman- strong as she was lovely—would turn on the waterworks in front of me. I hated when a woman cried.

"_I have always loved children," _she began slowly. _"And for the longest time, I resented that Lance denied me that right (among all the others) when he turned me. Daryl felt the same way when we got married. We used to sit around and wonder what our children might have looked like, sad that it was not to be. We would gladly have adopted, but I have never met a child as young as Lily who had been turned. In some ways, her coming into our lives has filled that void a little." _She looked suddenly fearful that she'd offended me. "_Don't misunderstand; we have no designs on her, but it is difficult not to be envious of you, Josef, and this gift you have been given. You are blessed, mon ami. I hope you realize how much."_

A pang of guilt tore through me. I had been thinking of Lily as more of a burden than a gift, and other than being grateful that she hadn't died along with her parents, I no longer felt the welcoming joy I once had upon seeing her back when she lived her idyllic life in Tulsa.

"I am thankful she was spared," I said lamely. "I love her very much."

"_I know you do. And I'm coming to love her too—Daryl and I both, actually. He would have made a wonderful father," _she said sadly, reaching up to brush at her eyes and visibly brightened. _"So I hope you see now that you need never apologize for letting her stay with us. She is always welcome here. And if it doesn't work out with this nanny…"_

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" I asked hesitantly, not daring to hope, mindful of little ears that might be listening.

"_Yes," _Carrie replied simply. "_I could be her nanny, if you like. Think it over."_

I was still looking at her in awe when Lily skipped back into the living room wearing her backpack and and carrying an armful of dolls and stuffed animals.

"I didn't get to say good-bye to Uncle Daryl," Lily pouted in Carrie's arms.

"_Do not fear, Cheri, I will tell him for you. Or perhaps Uncle Josef will let you call him later to wish him good-night."_

"Sure," I said with an absent smile, still reeling from Carrie's offer. I watched the two females share loving kisses and hugs of farewell, both of them perilously close to tears.

After I'd settled Lily in the passenger's seat of the Ferrari, I gunned the engine in the usual way to make Lily laugh with glee. She didn't react with her usual excitement.

"What's with you, Koala?" I asked, navigating through rush hour traffic.

"I like my room at Aunt Carrie's better than the one at your house." Out of the mouths of babes.

"Oh really? Your room at home looks like a fairy princess lives there. What's better about Aunt Carrie's?"

"She let me pick out my own curtains—they have zebra stripes like the ones at the zoo. And we painted the walls purple yesterday."

I thought I'd smelled fresh paint.

"And you know what else?" she continued happily.

"What?" I said, feeling my stomach drop.

"Uncle Daryl said he was going to put a swing in my room! He said he could hang it from the rafters!"

_Well, shit. How could I compete with that?_

"You could redecorate your room at our house," I said, feeling petty for acting like I was competing with Morgan.

"Could I have a swing in the house?"

"Uh, no. But there's a big tree in the back yard."

"It's not the same," harrumphed my little charge. "I could only play on it at night."

An unusual silence settled between us, and I glanced at Lily, who was staring plaintively out the window at the passing cars on the freeway.

"Lily…don't you like staying at my house?"

"Sometimes," she said honestly. "But you're always too busy to play with me. And I don't have any friends here. Antonia used to take me to visit Aerial down the street."

I guess I could understand how the little girl might be lonely. I swallowed. "I'm sorry I've been so cranky and busy lately. I promise I'll play with you more. Maybe we'll plan a trip to the ocean this weekend. Did you know Aunt Simone has a house on the beach?"

"Really?"

"Yep. But today, you need to meet your new nanny, and find out all the fun things she has planned for you."

Her happy face fell, and I had a pretty good idea what she was thinking.

"It won't be the same, Lily. I won't let anyone hurt you."

"Will you kill them if they do?"

"Damn straight, kid."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**MICK**

I love it when I'm right. It turned out Roy Sommers's murder had been a hit job. I'd put out my feelers to some of my contacts and the snitches I knew who would have information about this kind of stuff. A thousand dollars later, and I managed to track down who had actually done the hit, but the person who'd contracted it was still a mystery. I couldn't shake the feeling it was Olivia who'd done it, however. This would also explain why Beth hadn't perceived she was guilty; Olivia hadn't been the one to actually bloody her hands.

It wasn't as hard as you might think to make an appointment to meet with a hitman; you just had to find the right people to act as a liaison. I figured the best way to meet the killer was to hire him myself, so I put out the word that I was interested.I got a call a few hours later, and we set up a meeting that night in an alley downtown.

I sort of felt like I was in a film noir, meeting the man this way in the pale light of a streetlamp, the moon full, the alleyway cluttered, smelly, and rife with shadowy hiding places. He stepped out of a darkened doorway, a tall man with a bald head and arms riddled with tattoos. A Glock was tucked in the waistband of his baggy jeans.

"You St. John?" He asked gruffly. His pulse was calm; he was a real professional.

"Yeah. What's yours?"

"Just call me Butcher."

_Nice, _I thought grimly.

"You bring the money?" He asked.

I reached into my pocket and his hand went to his gun. I slowly pulled out an envelope filled with cash and held it up.

"I'm willing to pay your usual fee, but I don't need a hit; I need information."

"I don't deal in information, pal. I know you're a PI, so why don't you use those detective skills of yours and find out whatever it is on your own." He'd checked up on me.

"That's right," I said softly. "I'm a PI, not a cop. I'd keep your name out of it. I just need to know who hired you for the hit on Roy Sommers."

He chuckled humorously. "Oh, is that all? Look, part of the success of my business is that I keep certain details to myself. I'm like a priest or a doctor or a…bookie." He grinned at his own joke.

"Yeah, I'm sure. How about I double your fee?"

"Sorry, man." And then he pulled out the Glock and aimed it where my heart used to be. "But I think I'll take the cash anyway, as compensation for wasting my time, you understand."

I sighed inwardly. Why was it that the bad guys were never trustworthy? I was on him before he could blink, pushing him into a cinder block wall, his back popping with the powerful contact, my forearm pressing into his throat. He yelped in pain and his gun clattered to the uneven pavement. I was in full vamp face now, fangs extended, eyes set and sinister. His heart was certainly pumping now.

"What the fuck _are_ you?"

"Someone who doesn't need weapons or money to get what I want. I really hate asking more than once, but we just met, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt," I growled. "Who hired you?"

"I don't know. It was an anonymous contract. He paid me half at a drop site, I did the job, then I got the other half."

"He?" I asked, pressing him harder into the wall. "You got a contact number?"

"It's in my phone, man, in my pocket."

"Get it," I demanded. I moved back to allow him to retrieve it, and his hand shook violently as he tried to grasp it and flip it open, pressing buttons to find what I asked for.

"Here. It's the first number under Monday's date."

"Thanks," I said, slipping the phone into my own pocket.

"Hey," he protested, reaching out his right hand. "That's got all my business contacts on it."

I grabbed his hand and squeezed, effectively breaking every bone with a satisfying crack. He screamed in agony and fell to his knees as I finished the job. I was pretty sure he'd never use that hand to shoot anyone again. I picked up the discarded Glock and pocketed that too. It would be a nice addition to my arsenal.

"I'm afraid you're out of business now, my friend," I said, releasing him. He crumbled to the ground, moaning and crying like a baby.

"You're dead, St. John," he called out hoarsely as I walked away.

"Nice of you to notice," I replied wryly. I put my human face back on, whistling casually as I made my way back to where my car was parked a block away.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Logan traced the number on the hitman's phone for me, and I was surprised to learn that it hadn't been Olivia after all who had killed her husband; it had been his business partner. At least I was one step ahead of Beth, I thought with a grin. No way she could have come up with this information without shady contacts like mine. I parked a little down the street from David Hewitt's home. The moment I stood before his house, I smelled vampires, and one of them was painfully familiar. Beth.

I spied her car blatantly parked in the driveway, and I nervously sniffed the air, trying to determine if she might be in danger. I couldn't tell anything, so I did a brief search of the perimeter, and listened in beneath a window. If I could smell them, they could smell me, so I'd have to be quick in my scouting expedition. I heard Beth and a male voice, and I wondered why it was that all roads seemed to lead to vampires in this city. Also, if Hewitt was a vampire, he'd have a lot of explaining to do to the Council for taking out a human. I wondered how well Josef knew this guy. I mean, he must have known a partner in the accounting firm handling his money was a vampire. As a matter of fact, that was probably why he'd hired them. It was odd he hadn't filled me in on this little tidbit.

"I really am sorry to bother you at home, Mr. Hewitt," Beth was saying pleasantly enough. "But I'm new in LA, and my friend Josef said your firm would have the best accountants to handle my recently acquired windfall. And, given that we have so much in common, I figured we'd be an excellent match."

"Well, Miss Thatcher, I'm impressed with the friends you've made here. Tell me, are they all of Josef Kostan's caliber?"

She laughed in a sexy way that had my eyes narrowing in irritation. "Is there anyone else that even comes close to Josef's level?"

Hewitt joined in on the joke. "No, you're so right about that." There was a pause, and I had the feeling I'd been made.

"Did you bring a friend along with you?" he asked.

"Not exactly. My driver, Mick, is waiting outside. He's very protective of me." Of course she knew I was listening, and I grinned at the faint annoyance in _her _voice.

_Driver, eh? Driving what? Her Prius?_

"Well, let me give you the address of my offices, and we'll set you up with a personal accountant tomorrow. May I ask what amount you'll wish for us to handle? I like to tailor my staff to the appropriate accounts."

"Oh, certainly. I believe it is around twenty million dollars, give or take a hundred thousand. But I was really hoping you or Mr. Sommers would be available to give me the personal attention that Josef has raved about."

She was testing him now, likely to see his aura at the mention of the man he'd had killed.

"I'm afraid Mr. Sommers met with an unfortunate accident the other day and is no longer with us. He left me as sole proprietor of our business, however, and if you insist, I'd be happy to handle your business."

"Oh, I am sorry to hear about Mr. Sommers." I could hear the faint rustling of their clothing as they rose from their seats. "I guess it's just a warning to all of us that you can't trust anyone in this world. Even your best friends can turn on you and have you shot in your bed."

_Holy shit, Beth!_

"Who the hell _are_ you?" came David Hewitt's angry reply.

I figured now would be the best time to introduce myself.

A/N: Doesn't everyone just love a good cliffie? Please sign in and let me know your opinion. And thanks to borntobemybaby for the plot suggestion of Josef and Lily's heart-to-heart (so to speak). I always appreciate great ideas and suggestions! Keep them coming.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Thanks for those who are still with this story. I cherish every review! Some people were a little annoyed with Beth at the end of the last chapter. Good; that's how you were supposed to feel, lol. Don't worry, she'll make it up to Mick. That being said, this chapter has a distinct "M" warning. Enjoy!

**Chapter 13**

**MICK**

I ran at vamp speed to the front of Hewitt's house, kicking in the door without evening testing if it was locked. I heard the struggle coming from the living room, and by the time I jumped into the middle of things, my face was totally vamped out and I was ready to defend my woman. Turns out, I needn't have bothered. The man I assumed was David Hewitt lay staked in the middle of his living room floor, eyes wide open, stunned and paralyzed. I looked from the prostrate man to Beth, standing over him, and back again, my face anticlimactically returning to normal.

"Beth! What the fuck just happened?"

She was grinning from ear to ear in triumph. "I staked him!" She looked down at her captive like a child who'd just learned to tie her shoe.

"Yeah, I see that. You obviously found out he took out the hit on Sommers. What were you thinking, coming over here to confront him by yourself? This vamp's at least a hundred years old; you don't mess around with someone that powerful."

She shrugged. "I brought reinforcements." I glanced down at the open tote bag at her feet. It contained a machete, a small crossbow with silver arrows, and another wooden stake. The weapons looked suspiciously similar to the ones I kept hidden behind my bookshelf at home.

"Now we can just take him before the Council to answer for what he's done. Let them deal with him. This way, we're not responsible for taking another life."

"They're gonna kill him, you know. Vamp on human crimes are pretty serious. You're willing now to let vampire justice work?"

"Sure," she said, in a boggling turnaround in attitude. "The important thing to remember about this, though, Mick, is that I hands-down won our bet."

I was flummoxed. How the hell could she have beaten me to this? She obviously hadn't met with Butcher before I had. I looked at her suspiciously. I wouldn't put it past her to be bugging me or something, somehow listening in on my phone conversations.

"How'd you discover Hewitt's involvement?" I asked. She avoided my eyes a moment, seeming to be formulating her answer.

"A good detective never reveals her sources," she said finally. "I found him first. I won."

I decided that I needed to be direct with her, since obviously she wasn't returning the favor. "Did you plant a bug on me?"

She looked genuinely surprised. "Of course not! I'm offended you'd even think I'd violate your privacy in that way!"

"Okay…sorry. It's just that—"

"What?" She was actually tapping her foot, one hand on her shapely hip, an eyebrow raised in challenge.

"You got here so fast…" I maintained lamely.

"And you can't believe the great Mick St. John could be outdone by a woman?"

I felt like hanging my head for underestimating her, for showing my sexist side even.

"No, of course not." I sighed in defeat. "Congratulations. You out-did me." I leaned down to kiss her cheek. When I pulled away, she looked up at me hungrily.

"That's not nearly enough payment," she murmured. "But we should probably take care of this guy first."

I looked around, grabbing a throw blanket from the back of a suede couch. "We'll wrap him in this and I'll back my car into the garage. It wouldn't be a good idea for the neighbors to see us loading him into a trunk."

She nodded. Suddenly, Hewitt made a noise, an attempt to talk between frozen lips. _"Council…knows."_

"What did he say?" I asked, bending closer.

"_Council—"_

Beth kicked him sharply in the thigh. "Shut up, you murdering pig!" Beth said, cutting him off.

"Hey, wait a second, Beth. What do you mean the Council knows? They know you killed those people?"

"_Yes."_

"Then why aren't you a pile of ash right now?"

Before I could get another word out of him, Beth was leaning on the stake, pushing it more deeply into his chest. That effectively stopped our conversation.

"What'd you do that for?"

"You gonna believe the words of a killer? Let's get him to the Council and see what they say. He's killed his partner and an innocent woman. The Council should know about both of those murders. He might have had permission to kill one, but I don't think he had the right to human collateral damage when it could have been avoided."

She began wrapping the blanket around our captive, and I reached out to stay her arm. "Beth," I said, my eyes narrowing. "How do you know he had permission to kill Sommers?" There are very few sources who could have that information—only the members of the Council, of which I am one. But a license for vampires to kill humans would only come from the highest echelon of the Council, and that meant only two possibilities, the head Cleaner, and…Josef.

"Okay, Beth…spill it," I growled.

"What?" she said, blue eyes wide and innocent. I wasn't buying it anymore.

"Josef gave you inside information. That asshole stacked the deck against me, didn't he? When I get my hands on him—" I roared. I was furious with both of them.

"Shh! Keep it down, Mick. You want someone to call the police?"

"Godammit, Beth! The police are the least of our worries! Defying the Council's decree could put us both in front of the flame throwers."

"But you didn't know about it, Mick."

"No, but you, my dear fledgling—my personal responsibility—you knew damn well what you were doing, and that brings this shit storm squarely back on me. Jesus!" I ran a shaky hand through my hair and stared down at the wide-eyed Hewitt. I reached down and pulled the stake from his chest, cringing as he gasped and clutched his wound in pain.

"What'd you do that for?" Beth said. I noticed in irritation how she was now stepping behind me out of Hewitt's grasp.

I reached down and held out a hand, helping the man get painfully to his feet, the blanket falling away. His eyes flew angrily to Beth.

"You…_bitch_," he rasped. I automatically reached over and punched him in the jaw. He stumbled back into the wall.

"As much as she deserved it, don't talk to her that way." My eyes ignited with silver flames, and I knew if he hadn't been so weak from being staked, I might have had even more problems on my hands.

He rubbed his newest injury gingerly, eyeing us both with barely restrained fury. "She's your newbie, eh? You need to keep a much tighter rein on her, or she won't live long enough to become a problem in your old age."

"Let me worry about her," I said, promising Beth severe repercussions with my eyes. I turned back to Hewitt."There's obviously been some sort of a misunderstanding. You had been sanctioned by the Council to kill Roy Sommers, right? What about the woman—his lover?"

"She was caught in the crossfire, from what I hear," he said without much concern.

"Yeah, I talked to your hitman, Butcher. Boy, he's a sweetheart. I say he didn't give a shit who became collateral damage, long as he did what he was paid for. The Council know about that?"

"Josef Kostan knows," Beth murmered.

We both looked at her. "Who the hell _are_ you people?" Hewitt repeated his earlier question. "Not in need of an account manager, obviously."

"I'm Mick St. John, private investigator. This is Beth, my imprudent fiancé." I could feel the daggers from her eyes shooting into my back.

"You're on the Council too, I take it," he said to me. "You must be out of the loop. I'm a pretty important man in the vampire business of this town. You've just made an enemy you'll regret the rest of your miserable lives."

"Well, we have some pretty powerful friends of our own in LA. Josef Kostan, for one, remember? Now _he's_ an enemy you definitely don't want," Beth countered.

She had him there, and he knew it. "You mess with us, and it'll be like you started the vampire apocalypse." She was stretching it a bit, of course, but he looked scared enough.

"Get the hell out of my house, both of you, before I tear you apart, Council or no Council."

His strength was returning rapidly, and while I thought I might be able to take him, I didn't want to take the chance of something happening to Beth. I think we'd had enough collateral damage. I held up both my hands.

"Sorry for the misunderstanding, and for the pain my charge here caused you." I nudged Beth, who had just stood up from picking up her tote bag. "Apologize to the nice man, Beth," I ordered, between gritted teeth.

"I will not—" But she saw my deadly serious expression and relinquished immediately. "Sorry." Her apology was far from sincere, but at least she'd said it.

We hightailed it out of there, back through the house and past the front door, which was dented and hanging awkwardly from one hinge. "Send me a bill for the door," I called, propelling Beth outside.

"Get in your car and meet me at my place," I said, brooking no arguments. We'd just narrowly avoided a nuclear incident, and if I started in on her now, I'd wake up the whole damn block.

As we drove toward downtown LA, I tried to let go of my anger. I kept reminding myself that she was a grown woman, that she wasn't a fragile human anymore. But Beth had always been impulsive, and combined with a newbie's new power and confidence, she was capable of getting herself into trouble that would put her pre-vamp self to shame. I knew she'd be pissed off at me for treating her like a recalcitrant teenager, but I'd had to get a handle on things quickly, so ordering her about, pulling rank as her sire, was the fastest way to do that. But I knew I'd pay for it later. Lord knows, I would pay.

After I dealt with Beth at home, I needed to confront Josef about his part in this subterfuge. I mean, what kind of friend took your girlfriend's side? He could have told me about Hewitt, saved Beth walking into a viper's nest. Once again, the two people I loved most had kept something from me for my own good, but mainly for theirs. Beth wanted to be my partner, Josef wanted—well, God only knows what _he _wanted. That would be one of those things I might have to beat out of him.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Beth beat me home; I'd gotten caught behind a traffic accident. By the time I arrived, I was much calmer, but still a little hurt and impatient to hear her explain herself. Before I could even thumb the key remote, I smelled the candles, the fresh squirt of Beth's perfume in the air. Oh, she was pulling out the big guns now, preparing to appease me with her feminine wiles. If she thought I was that easy, well, she had another thing coming.

I followed my nose to the bedroom where my very naughty fiancé was lying in the middle of my bed, her naked skin glowing in the soft, patchouli-scented candlelight. She'd set a chilling bottle of wine and a carafe of blood on the bedside table, and she'd struck a sensual pose, her engagement ring sparkling on the hand resting upon her right breast. My mouth went dry, and my lower extremity jumped to attention, renewed anger only heightening my arousal. She smiled at my expected reaction.

"Sex isn't going to take away the fact that you and Josef conspired to win our bet through underhanded means."

"Oh?" she inquired, begging to differ. "I think sex might smooth the way, however," she purred, sliding her other hand up and down one shapely inner thigh. I took off my coat, absently draping it over a chair. "Besides, there were no rules stated before we embarked on our wager. The winner would be the one who discovered the killer first. And that, my handsome vampire, was clearly…_me_."

Her right hand stopped on its final upward journey, pausing at the light brown hair at the apex of her thighs. She bent one knee, and I couldn't stop the slight moan that escaped me as her fingers delved into her softness, her leg's new position affording me a mouthwatering view.

"Stop this, Beth," I said, at the same time pulling my shirt off over my head, my fingers working at the top button of my waistband. "We need to talk about the umpteen mistakes you made tonight."

She smiled sexily, her voice dropping to its familiar honeyed smoothness. "You're right." Her index finger was moving in a circular motion, hypnotizing me, as her other hand cupped her own breast, teasing me so that I didn't know where to look that didn't make me almost too hard to unzip my jeans. "I think I'm due a thorough tongue lashing, "she said, licking her full bottom lip, her eyelids at half-mast.

Despite my anger, I smirked at her innuendo. She let out a sudden little cry when her finger hit just the right spot, and my boots, jeans, and boxer briefs disappeared like magic. The last few days of teasing and competing had been the best foreplay a guy could imagine, and now, throw anger into the mix and I was worked up beyond reason. I threw myself atop her, plunging my tongue into that sassy mouth, moving my hand down to continue what her own had started. She wriggled and gasped at the onslaught, her soft hands sliding over my back as our kiss went on and on.

I kissed my way down to her breasts, lavishing attention there awhile before gliding my tongue down to replace where our fingers had been. Her soft cries told me when she'd nearly had enough punishment, so with one last lash of my tongue, I covered her body again, my fangs extending as I became overwhelmed by her smell, her sensual sounds, the feel of her satiny skin beneath my hands. She shivered as I brushed my teeth against her inviting neck.

I rolled us over so she could sit astride me, and I lifted her up by the waist, setting her slowly down on my hardness. Our mutual groans of welcome echoed in the room as she made her sweet way to the hilt of me, then rose up again smoothly, a little twist of her hips making me see stars.

"Jesus, Beth, you're killing me. Again."

She chuckled, then picked up the pace. I watched with delight as she manipulated her own breasts, and my fingers reached between our bodies to touch her, making her tremble with need. We rolled over again, and I began to pound into her with abandon, her strong body rising to meet me. She nipped my shoulder, drawing blood, and when I glance down I saw the vampire had emerged, spurring me on in my quest for our mutual release as I felt her tongue lapping at my blood.

"Yes, Mick! Oh God, just like that!"

A minute later and I was sinking my fangs into her neck, drinking of her aphrodisiac sweetness until we both went over the edge…and beyond.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Later, after we shared the carafe of blood and sipped our wine, I pulled Beth to my side, relaxing naked as the freezing air conditioning brought our temperatures down.

"I'm still mad at you, you know," I told her, my eyes closed in contentment. "And I've got a lot more to say on the subject. Later…when I can move."

"Yes, I know…but I still won."

I smiled in amusement. _Damn women. Always have to have the last word._

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**JOSEF**

I watched from the window of my study as Lily and her new nanny played outside in the dark backyard. Her name was Jennifer, and she had been nineteen when she'd been turned fifty years before. As a human, she'd loved babysitting, made most of her spending money that way, and as a vampire, she'd continued doing it, with both humans and the few vampire children she'd seen over the years. She still had that spirit of youth, tirelessly playing, singing, and teaching as she had the past few hours. She was good-natured and kind, without a note of bitterness about having been turned so young. She came highly recommended, and I liked her instantly. She was intelligent and funny, and was working on her fifth graduate degree in some aspect of child studies.

The only problem I foresaw was that she was built like a swimsuit model, but at least she was modestly covered in a baggy t-shirt , jeans, and Converse high-tops. But I guess it would only be a problem if my wife caught me checking out her ass.

Simone brought me a glass of brandy and stood by me as we watched the two youngsters doing flips out of the twenty-foot palm tree, then climbing back up to do it over and over again. Simone cringed with each jump, still a young enough vampire to remember how such a fall would have been deadly to a human.

"Well, Lily seems to love her," she said, taking a drink from her wine glass.

"What's not to love?" I said confidently. "This should work out great, I can feel it."

I heard a familiar car pull in the drive—Mick's old Mercedes. It was just past three in the morning, an unusual time for him and Beth to be visiting. I had a sudden feeling of intense foreboding.

"Oh, great," Simone was saying, heading downstairs to meet our visitors. "Beth and Mick will be able to meet Jennifer." With some trepidation, I followed my wife to the foyer.

Niles had the night off, so we acted as our own butlers, ushering our friends inside. They'd both showered recently, but I could still detect that they too had been in a celebratory mood. When I caught Mick's cold stare, however, I realized that there might just be trouble in paradise.

"Would you care to join me in my study for a drink," I asked blandly.

"Sure," he said. The women looked at us, Simone curious at Mick's standoffishness, Beth tense and nervous. As Mick preceded me up the stairs, Beth gave a little shake of her head. _Uh-oh. Busted._

"Come and meet Jennifer," Simone was saying, dragging her friend toward the back door. I caught sight of Beth's pleading look and mentally girded my loins.

"Scotch?" I asked, as Mick sat in one of the leather chairs of my study. I too had the sudden need for something stronger than brandy.

"Yeah, scotch would be great. I need a drink after Beth almost getting killed going after David Hewitt."

I busied myself pouring our drinks, my head down.

"She looks like she survived," I said.

"She was lucky." He paused, downing his shot in one gulp, holding his glass out for more. "Why didn't you tell me what you knew, Josef? Why'd you take Beth's side in this when you knew how I felt about it?"

I sighed inwardly. "Mick, my man, I didn't want to see you making a mistake. You can't force a woman to do anything she doesn't want to do—she'll just end up resenting you in the end, and a resentful woman is hell to live with. I was saving you from that, Mick."

"You couldn't trust that I know what's best for me. I'm gonna be stuck working with her twenty-four-seven, now Josef. As much as I love her, she drives me out of my mind with her impulsive, reckless behavior. And I suppose her telling Talbot about us is a moot point now."

"At least you know Beth can take care of herself, can't she? How'd she do with Hewitt?"

"She staked the bastard before I could get in there."

I chuckled, pictured it, then chuckled again. "What was she planning to do with a staked vampire?"

"Haul him before the Council for killing Sommers's lover. Collateral damage or not, the woman didn't deserve to die."

I shook my head, still grinning. "Oh, I don't know, Mick. They used to stone adulteresses—still do, in some countries."

"But not here, Josef. Besides, now we're stuck with the wrong woman being accused of her husband's murder."

"Don't worry your pretty little collar-length hair over that one, buddy. I made a few calls. Haven't you heard? Olivia's off the suspect list. Beth didn't tell you?"

"Uh, no. It must have slipped her mind." His mouth formed an angry line.

"Don't be too hard on her, Mick. What's so bad about wanting to work with the man she loves? She would have figured out Hewitt was the bad guy soon enough. I was just helping fate along."

"You were just interfering in my business…again. You gotta stop doing that, Josef. Someday, you're going to step over a line you won't be able to find again. Haven't I had to forgive you for enough things over the years—especially_, recent_ years?"

I didn't think he'd ever throw my kissing Beth back in my face, but there it was. I thought we'd gotten through that, past it, that he'd truly forgiven me.

"I don't think this little white lie reaches the level of any earlier lines I might have crossed, do you?"

We stared at each other silently a moment, and I saw Mick's face begin to soften a little. "Okay, you're right. But this still wasn't cool, Josef. Not cool at all."

"I'm sorry," I said, relieved. "I probably shouldn't have taken sides here, but I call 'em like I see 'em, always have, always will. You know that about me, Mick. So, when do you officially invite Beth aboard the good ship St. John Investigations?"

"That remains to be seen,"said Mick stubbornly.

"A bet's a bet," I said, my eyes going to his currently long hair. He reached up and touched it self-consciously.

"Yeah," he said, taking another drink.

Just then, the sound of childish laughter came from outside my window, and Mick went to look out curiously.  
>"I thought I smelled another vamp on the grounds," he said, seeing Jennifer talking to Beth and Simone as she swung Lily around in circles by her arms. "Lily's new nanny, I take it?" I followed his gaze, then suddenly felt Mick tense up like he'd been staked.<p>

"No way," he muttered, squinting down into the back yard.

"What?" I asked, trying not to feel panicked at my friends' shocked expression.

"Holy shit," he said. "It can't be!"

"What? What?"

"Is that Jennifer Sparks?"

"Yeah…you know her?" My mind swirled in fear that I'd found another dud, that maybe Mick knew this girl from a case. Maybe she was a child molester or a baby killer he knew of old.

"Yeah, I know her. Biblically, in fact. Multiple times, on multiple occasions."

A/N: Another little clliffie, of sorts, lol. Well, one more chapter to go on this little tale. I hope you liked this chapter enough to review!


	14. Conclusion

**A/N: **Sorry it took so long to get back to this story. I confess I've been involved in my other favorite fandom, and real life has also gotten in the way. But here, at last, is the conclusion of this fic. I hope you like it, and that I tied up any loose ends. Thanks so much for reading this, and for all the great and inspiring reviews.

**CHAPTER 14: Conclusion**

**MICK**

"Jesus, Mick! You shagged my nanny?"

I kept looking at Jennifer Sparks from the window, still trying to process the sight of my former lover and my current fiancé, chatting like old friends. I shuddered.

"It was way before she was your nanny, Josef." My words weren't much of a comfort to either of us.

"Well, when…how? And, most importantly, was it good?"

"Remember about a year after I thought I'd killed Coraline? You were in Japan, I think, on business for a few weeks. Jenny and I met at a bar where I was drowning my sorrows in Jack Daniels. She was so young and pretty, so carefree—about as opposite to Coraline as a girl could get. I mean, I knew she was about ten years younger in appearance, but we were turned about the same time. We connected…then we…_connected_." I shook my head in wonder at the memory. "That girl was the best lay I'd ever had, up until Beth, of course." I hastened to reassure both of us, but it was really like comparing apples to oranges. Or Coralines to Beths.

"Jesus," he blasphemed again, almost to himself. "One look at her ass and I knew it."

We were both lost in thought a moment, then, suddenly, the women below sensed they were being watched and all three looked up. Vamp vision, hearing, and scenting all kicked in, and I could see from that distance, even in the dark, that Jenny knew who I was. Her eyes widened and she stopped mid-speech to look at Beth. My scent must have been all over her after our earlier interaction, and Jenny must have thought there was something familiar about it. Only now, when she actually saw me, did it click who exactly had been knocking boots with her new employer's friend.

Beth was looking at me too in curiosity, and I stepped back from the window abruptly.

"This isn't gonna be good," Josef was saying, having witnessed the entire exchange. He began to look a little panicked. "Shit. I just found her, for fuck's sake! No way is Beth going to want your former booty call hanging around her best friend's house. And you just know Simone's gonna be on her side."

"We don't have to tell," I said, his paranoia catching. Josef shot me a look.

"The minute we're all in the same room, Beth will know, you can count on it. Women have a sixth sense about this kind of thing, trust me. And with Beth's _additional _sense, you haven't got a prayer. Besides, you couldn't lie convincingly if your life depended on it."

"That's not true," I protested. "I kept my identity secret from Beth for months." He wasn't convinced.

"I'm gonna have to let her go. Dammit! She was the best candidate I interviewed. The one time I wish you'd kept your dick in your pants, Mick…"

"I'm sorry, Josef. Truly. Not sorry about being with Jennifer, though. At the time, she was what I needed, believe me."

"So what happened? How did it end?"

I shrugged. "It was mutual. Neither of us were looking for anything long term. She'd just gotten out of a relationship too, if I remember right. It was just sex, pure and simple. I'm sure if we explained to the girls what hap—"

Josef's laugh interrupted me. "You're kidding, right? Women can't compartmentalize like we can, my friend."

We heard and scented the ladies entering the house.

"Run along and get ready for your bath," Jennifer was saying. "I'll be upstairs in a minute, sweetie."

Yep, that was the same sweet voice I remembered.

"Hey Mick," Beth called. "Come down and meet Lily's new nanny." Her voice probably sounded normal enough to everyone else, but to me, it was weighted with suspicion. Maybe that was just my guilty conscience talking.

Josef and I looked at each other, swallowing small gulps of dread. Josef looked sad, yet resigned.

"May as well get it over with," he said fatalistically.

Jennifer up close was as sexy as I remembered, retaining her fresh, collegiate air, even after twenty-five years. I tried to put on a polite smile, but inside, I was quivering like a school boy.

"Jennifer, this is Mick," Beth said, her eyes on me.

"We've met," said Jennifer. Beth's eyes widened, then narrowed, but it was more from suspicion than from surprise.

"Oh?" Beth said neutrally, but I knew she was just waiting for details to confirm what she suspected.

"It's been what—about twenty-five years?" Jennifer said brightly.

"Uh, yeah. How have you been?" I wanted to cringe at my own inane question.

"Good. Just being a nanny to good people like the Kosten's." She smiled at her employers.

"So, how do you two know each other," asked Beth, her eyes fairly glowing with curiosity.

"We just knew each other casually," Jennifer said.

"For about two weeks," I said, my nervous words slipping out before I could stop them.

I glanced at Josef—a big mistake—to see him trying to control his smile, even though he was pretty well screwed again in the nanny department. "Were those two weeks straight, or off and on? Every other night?"

I really wanted to punch him at that moment, and my hands actually clenched into impotent fists. Beth at once knew the lay—so to speak—of the land. "Well, how nice you could be reunited at last," she said with more than a hint of saccharine.

There was a moment of awkward silence, during which Josef reveled and the two women were looking at Jennifer with distinctly less friendly gazes than what I'd witnessed from the window. I wasn't looking at anyone. Yes, I'm a coward.

"Jennifer, could you go see to Lily's bath, please?" Simone said finally.

"Oh, certainly! Nice seeing you again, Mick. Nice meeting you, Beth." And she went on her merry way. Josef watched the pleasing sway of her hips as she took to the stairs, and then the venom of both women was directed at him.

"She is so fired," hissed Simone.

"Oh, come on, baby," Josef said, the negotiations beginning.

"Let's talk out here," she said, dragging my friend by the hand the toward the patio that led to the swimming pool. I turned sheepishly to Beth. It was my turn, I supposed.

"You two slept together, right?"

"Boy, you don't beat around the bush, do you?" I said, running both hands through my hair.

She was literally tapping her foot. "Well?"

"Yes. I slept with her on and off for about two weeks. I wasn't with Coraline. I wasn't with you. It was consensual, and it was over before I knew it. The end."

She looked me up and down, reading my aura. "You still find her attractive."

"Yes. I'm a man. She's hot. But you're hotter. And I _love_ you." I moved closer to her, taking both her hands in mine. She stood stiffly before me, her eyes cold slits.

"Come on, Beth. You've got no reason to be jealous. I'm not even tempted by her." I turned on the charm, even smiled in the way she said made her melt. Damned if it didn't work.

She sighed, her features softening. "I believe you. It took me by surprise, that's all. Seeing you looking at another woman like that. The last time I saw you react to a woman who wasn't me, it was Coraline, and look how that turned out."

"Before or after you staked her?" I couldn't resist saying.

"Oh, shut up. I know you have a past. I wouldn't have wanted you to remain celibate for a quarter of a century. I was with Josh when I fell in love with you, after all. Sorry I overreacted."

"Who are you, and what have you done with my Beth?" I teased. I grew suddenly serious. "Now you know how I feel whenever Talbot looks at you."

"Point taken." She put her cool hand on my cheek, looking up into my eyes. "I'll tell Ben tomorrow that we're engaged."

"Really?" I said, surprised at this sudden turnaround.

"Yeah," she whispered, reaching up to kiss me. "I'm proud to be engaged to you. I was stupid to put my job ahead of you, ahead of us. But I'm not ready to tell him I'm a vampire yet, okay?"

I looked at this woman I love. She could be stubborn and mischievous, and certainly a lot of trouble at times. But it was all of it—everything about her-that made me love and want her more than any other woman I'd ever known.

"Okay, I guess I can live with that. But, then again, the point is probably moot now anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll be working with me from now on, remember?" I hadn't intended to blurt it out like that, but as the words came out, I realized that I meant them, that I'd been stubborn and putting my job before her too.

"Oh my God, Mick! Are you sure?"

"Yes," I said, enfolding her into my arms. She squeezed me so tightly I felt my ribs start to crack. "Okay, okay," I groaned. Newbies and their unfettered strength. She laughed a little, then relaxed her hold. I kissed her to seal the deal, and I felt the renewal of my desire for her, and only her.

**JOSEF**

It was one of the most difficult things I'd ever had to do, letting Jennifer Sparks go. I would have liked to have told her it was nothing personal, but it was—about as personal as you could get. Simone, despite Beth and Mick's reassurances to the contrary, didn't want my best friend's former lover working for us. She'd said it would be too uncomfortable for everyone. I agreed, but I also think the girl's fine ass had something to do with it too. So now, it was back to square one.

I held Lily on my lap after Jennifer left, consoling her that we'd find someone else even better. I told her a story, as she snuggled into my side, fresh and sweet smelling from her bath. I kissed the top of her little blonde head as she laughed at the silly tale of a vampire rabbit who sucked the juice from vegetables. She'd cried a little when she'd said goodbye to Jennifer, and honestly, I felt like crying too.

Not long after Mick and Beth had left, another knock came at the door, and I was taken by surprise for about the third time that night. I'd immediately sensed the arrival of Daryl and Carrie, as had Lily. She jumped from my lap and beat me down the stairs, so that by the time Simone had opened the door for them, Lily was waiting for to be scooped up by Daryl. I watched the scene from the second floor landing, my stomach clenching a little at what a perfect family they would make. Carrie looked up and met my eyes.

_Sorry to come so late—or is it early? No matter, we were just anxious to meet Lily's new nanny._

"I don't have a nanny anymore," said Lily, her bottom lip sticking out in dismay.

"What?" said Daryl. "What happened?" I met our visitors at the bottom of the stairs.

"We had to let her go," I said. "Long story."

_You said she was perfect, Simone. Was she not pleasing to Lily?_

"No, it wasn't that. She just wasn't…suitable. We'll find another."

Daryl and Carrie looked at each other, then Carrie caught my eye, directing her words to my brain only.

_Could we talk to you two, without Lily a moment. _

I nodded.

"Koala, why don't you run upstairs and climb into your freezer. Then we'll all come up and tuck you in in a little bit, okay?"

"But they just got here," she whined.

"I know, but it's almost daylight. Time for all good little vampires to get some sleep. Simone and I will be along soon, I promise." She bounded away, golden curls bouncing on her way up the stairs.

We would have to rely on Carrie's telepathic abilities to avoid Lily hearing all of our conversation, and she looked at us knowingly.

_I am sorry about losing your new nanny so quickly. _

"Everything will be fine," I said, ushering them into the living room. I offered them drinks, which they declined. I poured myself a double.

_Our offer still stands, _said Carrie. She and her husband shared a glance, and I knew she must be talking in his head alone. She still wanted to be Lily's nanny, I could practically feel the maternal instinct clogging the air.

"We're ready to offer even more," said Daryl. He reached for his wife's hand where they sat on the couch. I looked on the pair in disbelief.

_If you feel like this—having a child—is too much for you, Daryl and I could keep her, Josef. For always. No one would blame you. There would be no shame in this, and of course, you'd always be a welcome part of her life, her Uncle Josef. We would love her as our own…_

I looked at these two good people, friends. Part of me wanted to jump at their offer like a drowning man thrown a rope, part of me was angry, that they thought I couldn't handle a child. And part of me felt a deep, undeniable sadness that I had been brought to this level of insecurity by a four-year-old vampire. I looked at Simone, and her eyes were watering with impending tears. She knew the agony I must be going through, the helplessness I felt. She knew I hated helplessness. I turned away from their appealing eyes to look out at the coming dawn, the lights of LA dimming as the horizon grew brighter.

"Okay," I said softly.

"What?" said Simone, her voice cracking a little. I avoided her tear-drenched face to turn to the Morgan's, who seemed to be in shock. I swallowed over the lump in my throat.

"Take her. Keep her for me. Lily loves you. John and Diana would have loved you. I'm just not cut out for fatherhood."

"Josef—" Simone began, rising to come to me.

I didn't want to be comforted at the moment for fear I would break down into a dead heap. I wanted to do this with as much dignity as I had left. I stepped away from her attempt at embracing me.

"Are you sure, Josef?" asked Daryl. He was trying to guard his wife's feelings. "Take all the time you need to decide."

I looked them both in the eyes, a new strength—or, rather, my old, recently absent strength—returning.

"Don't give up on her," Simone said.

I glanced meaningfully toward the second floor, where little ears might be listening. "I'm not. I'm doing what's best for her." I looked at the Morgan's. "Just, let us have this night, will you?"

_We are in no hurry, cheri. We want you to be sure of this._

"I'm not messin' with you guys," I told them. I felt myself grin ironically. "You know me. Once I make up my mind…" But, of course, now, in this one case, I'd gone back and forth on what I should do so many times that I was giving myself whiplash. The madness had to stop, and I had to do it for Lily. "Come back tomorrow night."

"Can we say good-night to her?" asked Daryl, and I saw that he was as emotionally drawn in as Carrie. That more than sealed the deal for me.

I nodded. "Go ahead. Tell her we'll be up in a little while. Oh, and let us break the news, okay?"

_Of course. _And Carrie rose and kissed me gently on both cheeks, tears of gratitude shining in her fathomless eyes.

When I was alone with Simone, she threw her arms around me, sobbing into my shoulder. "Don't," I said hoarsely. "Wait until they're gone, till Lily is asleep. Once I start, I don't know when I'll be able to stop."

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

The Morgan's had gone and Simone and I made our slow way upstairs to tuck in our little charge.

We stood in the doorway of her fairy princess room, then went to her freezer bed, which was still open. Our little princess was laying on her satin pillow. She opened her eyes and sat up.

"Will you tell me another story, Uncle Josef?"

"Sure, that's what uncles do, right?"

She laughed, the joyous sound filling the air.

I sat in a chair and gestured that she come and sit in my lap. Simone went to the window seat and looked out at the sunrise.

"Once upon a time," I began. "There was a little vampire named Lily."

"You mean me?"

I kissed her cheek. "Who else? Now hush and let me talk, will ya Little Miss Chatterbox?"

She giggled. "Okay, I promise I won't innerupt any more."

"You sure?" It was an old game we played, and my throat tightened over the familiar words.

"Sure I'm sure. I'll sit right here and listen and I won't talk when you are talking and I'll be just like a little angel."

"Okay…because I'm not going to tell you this unless you are good…"

"Pinky promise," she said, holding out her little finger. My much larger one latched onto hers and we confirmed her oath.

"All right, then. Where was I—?"

"There was a little vampire named Lily," interrupted the little vampire in my lap. She stifled another giggle at my mock look of annoyance.

"And Lily was lost in the woods, without any other vampires to talk to. Until one day, the handsome vampire king- named Josef, of course—(more giggles) rescued her and brought her to his gigantic castle. Lily had loads of fun there, with lots of freshies to eat and toys to play with, but she was very, very lonely. You see, King Josef was always gone, it seemed, out slaying dragons and killing wicked witches. Someone was always threatening his kingdom, because that's what others do when they are jealous of such wealth and handsomeness. Even his beautiful queen, Simone, had her own part of the kingdom to defend, so Lily was frequently left all alone in the big, spooky castle." I looked over at my queen, who met my eyes, her tears flowing anew before she purposefully looked blindly back out the window.

I cleared my throat and continued the bedtime story. "Even when King Josef was home, he was often very grumpy and would even yell sometimes, making poor Lily cry."

"But he still loved her didn't he?" I hugged her tightly, blinking back my threatening emotions.

"Of course he did, with all his dead heart, but he was just a lot better at killing things than taking care of her. One day, when Lily was playing by herself in the woods just outside the castle, a beautiful fairy princess named Carissa saw her and invited the lonely girl to play. They had wonderful adventures every day, and Lily even learned to fly like Princess Carissa. Sometimes she would take Lily home to her husband, the Gentle Giant, whose neck was as thick as a great redwood. He could crush anything he wanted with his bare hands, and he was almost as handsome and brave as King Josef—but not quite."

Lily laughed. "That sounds like Uncle Daryl. Did he have any tattoos?"

"Lots of them, covering his whole body. But they were mainly of butterflies and pussywillows, so they weren't scary at all. One day, King Josef came home from a particularly tough day of dragonslaying, and Princess Carissa and her giant hubby were waiting for him with Lily. At first, he wanted to attack them, but he soon realized they were friendly. He saw how well Lily got along with them, and he realized that maybe—" My voice faltered, and I closed my eyes tightly against the pain.

"Are you okay, Uncle Josef?" asked Lily, her tiny hand reaching up to touch my cheek. I opened my eyes, feeling the tears finally spilling over. I wiped them away impatiently. "I'm fine, Koala. But I-I have a question for you. How would you like to live with Carrie and Daryl?"

She thought a moment, her little mind turning things over. She was a sharp little thing—as sharp as a four-year-old could become. I had a feeling she was sorting through all the ramifications of leaving us to be with them. She finally looked up at me, blue eyes filled with concern.

"Does this mean I won't ever come here?"

"No, baby. You can come here whenever you want to. You'd just be living at the Morgan's, staying there most of the time. You and I and Aunt Simone can get together and have fun sometimes too. I still owe you that trip to Disneyland, remember?"

She brightened. "Really?"

"Sure. Uncle Mick said he'd love to take you on the teacups, as many times as you want."

She threw her arms around me, latching onto me in the little bear way I loved. I buried my face into her soft blonde curls, closing my eyes but feeling the tears slip from beneath my eyelids.

"I love you, Uncle Josef!" she said into my neck. "Aunt Carrie can be home with me all the time, just like that fairy princess, and you and Aunt Simone can have more time to slay dragons."

_Out of the mouths of vampire babes._

"But sometimes, may I help too?" she asked.

"Of course, Koala. Someone's gotta be there to drain the witches' blood." She laughed and drew back to look at me.

"Don't cry, Uncle Josef. You can still come over and play on the swing Uncle Daryl built for me."

I grinned. "Okay, but only if I get to go first."

**MICK**

_Two weeks later…_

All my friends were gathered around to watch the show as I sat in a chair in the middle of my living room, a barber's cape protecting my clothing. Josef had supplied the barber, an old codger of a vampire who'd given Army recruits crew cuts back in the War. He turned on the electric clippers and the women gasped in anticipation. This was met with answering chuckles from the men.

"Aw, come on, girls," Josef said "It's not like we're removing a limb here."

Daryl, Guillermo and Logan puffed on their cigars and toasted me with their highball glasses. I was apparently the entertainment for the evening. The women—Beth, Simone, Carrie, and Lily—were much more sympathetic to my plight. They sat on my couch, refusing to partake of any celebratory drinks.

"Should we have a countdown?" Logan asked, snickering behind his glass.

"No," I said. "Hey, Mack, just get it over with, will ya?"

"Wait!" Beth called, jumping to her feet and standing before me. She reached out and ran both hands through my hair, emitting a dramatic sigh. "I'm so going to miss those curls," she said sadly. She leaned forward and kissed me like I was going off to war. Well, at least I'd have the haircut for it.

"Don't worry, there are still other things left to hold onto, I'm sure," quipped Josef, receiving a dirty look from his wife, who directed a pointed glance at Lily.

Josef shrugged, but he didn't look sorry. "Oops."

Beth stepped back out of the way and Mack raised the clippers, starting just above my ears. "Not too much off the top, if you don't mind," I cautioned. I truly didn't want to look like a skinhead. He nodded, and I felt the touch of metal and plastic pressing against my scalp. The girls cried out as the first pass of the clipper dropped a small wad of hair to the plastic draped floor beneath my feet. The guys let out variations of the exclamation "ewwww," while making additional jokes at my expense. I grinned and bore it, flashing briefly back to the last time another Army barber had cut my hair.

Five minutes later, and it was all over. Beth brought me a mirror, and I looked at the stranger there. The cut had taken about ten years off my appearance.

"Oh," said Simone. "He looks like that guy off of _Hawaii Five-0._"

I raised an eyebrow at my reflection. "Jack Lord?" Josef and I said together skeptically.

"No, man," Guillermo said. "The remake show. Alex something or other. Don't you oldtimers ever watch TV anymore?"

"Oh, my God," Beth said in sudden realization. "You and Alex O'laughlin could so be twins right now!"

_He is so sexy, _agreed Carrie. I'm sure she'd meant this Alex guy, not me. I dropped the mirror, feeling distinctly like a poodle who'd just been clipped.

"That O'laughlin guy is about fifteen pounds lighter though," said Daryl. He met my acid look with an annoying grin. "He's got more muscle tone too."

I reached up and unsnapped the cape from about my neck, standing up and brushing off my jeans.

"All right, the show's over," I said, wanting nothing more than to take the spotlight off of me and this silly bet. I'd about had it with bets for awhile.

There had been a lot of changes over the last couple of weeks. My hair was practically gone and Beth's name now appeared beneath mine on my office door. Lily had settled in with Daryl and Carrie, and Josef and Simone were adapting as well, though I'd spent about two nights helping Josef drown his sorrows over the guilt he felt. And believe me, I know very well what guilt felt like.

I walked over to the liquor cabinet and poured myself a scotch, receiving less than comforting pats on the back along the way. Beth joined me, brushing away the remnants of my old hair from my neck and shoulders. She ran her hands over my head now, and, I admit, it somehow felt even more intimate, since my head felt distinctly on the naked side.

"You do look sexy," she whispered into my ear. I felt a little thrill at her words.

"Oh?" I said turning to face her with a small smile.

"Yeah." Her eyes were broadcasting many unspoken promises I'd definitely be cashing in on later. Her finger trailed from my hair to my neck and to the _V _of my Henley, and we grinned at each other knowingly. At that moment, Simone called Beth back to the party, and I sipped my drink, watching my friends as they drank and joked. Josef walked over to join me.

"You two should seriously get a room. It's disgusting."

I smirked wryly. "We've got a room. Matter of fact, we'd have the whole damn apartment if we didn't have all these interlopers you invited."

"Ha. I had to have witnesses or you might not have gone through with it."

"Since when have I not followed through on a bet, Josef?"

"Yeah, but it's never been over something this…_serious_ before." He reached out and rubbed my shorn head affectionately. I rolled my eyes and refilled his glass, then I saw that his gaze had alighted on Lily, her arms choking Daryl's neck in a familiar way.

I looked at my friend with sudden concern. "You okay?" I asked.

"Yeah. I'm still second-guessing my decision, whether I let John and Diana down. But I see this is really good for Lily. She hasn't had a nightmare in two weeks, according to Carrie. She seems much happier, more relaxed, confident."

"I think you did the right thing," I told him. "Stop beating yourself up about it. I don't want to see you going down the same road of guilt that I only recently got off of. Fifty years of it was fifty too long. Besides, I wouldn't want us to have to trade ringtones."

"What?" he asked innocently, then grinned in remembrance of his own cleverness. I knew damn well his ringtone for me was "King of Pain." It was insulting, really. A thought occurred to him. "You have a ringtone for me?" he asked suspiciously.

I hid behind my scotch, my eyes blank. I wasn't about to let on that my tone for him was _The Imperial March, _Darth Vader's theme. It was meant to be an insult, but I was sure he'd take it as a compliment.

Just then, Lily ran up to Josef, tugging on his hand. "Uncle Josef! Uncle Josef! Come and see the magic trick Uncle Daryl taught me!"

"Really? Has he made Logan disappear?"

"No, silly! It's a card trick."

Josef looked at Lily with a wide grin of indulgence, then, his eyes met mine with a familiar spark of humor, and I saw that he was truly going to be okay. He let her drag him by the hand to her newly adopted father. Josef might not have been cut out to be a father, but he was about as perfect an uncle as a little vampire could have. He would be there for her whenever she needed him, slaying her dragons, indulging her every whim. I wish I'd had my own Uncle Josef, growing up.

THE END

I so hope you enjoyed this addition to my post-series saga. I do know I have at least one more story to write, that of Beth and Mick's wedding. I don't know when I'll get to it, but I'm sure it will come one day soon, out of the blue, like most of my stories.

In the meantime, I finally got the chance to read _Angel of Vengeance _by Trevor Munson. This is the novel upon which "Moonlight" was originally based. It only came out for the reading public last year, I believe. If you haven't read it, I encourage you to—it's a wonderful read! Although, I caution you, the Mick in that story bears little resemblance to the one in the series, and sadly, there is no Josef and no grown-up Beth. It is mainly Mick and Coraline's story, as demented and horrible as that is. It's told through first-person (Mick's pov), and his observations and descriptions are wonderfully amusing—I laughed out loud many times. But it is also very dark and not nearly as romantic as the show. That being said, I hope you give it a chance. You can get it on Amazon. I know Bfangz and Littlemender would especially enjoy it.


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